


The Queen Below

by bitysmith



Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Greek and Roman Mythology
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Female Hades (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Female Hades/Female Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Genderbending, Mutual Pining, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Retelling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2019-11-09
Packaged: 2021-01-08 05:17:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 160,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21230435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitysmith/pseuds/bitysmith
Summary: Persephone has been raised in Olympus all her life, her mother absent, her father a cruel king, with her siblings teaching her all they know. She has seen all of what the gods and goddesses do, their killing, their assaulting, the tricks they play on humans, and she is sick of it.When she learns her safety is threatened by staying in Olympus, she takes the advice of a shrouded goddess and flees to the Underworld, the only place feared by the Olympians, to be taken in by the chthonic deities.There she stays until she learns that her leaving Olympus causes the world to wilt, but leaving behind her newfound friends and Lady of the Underworld is something she will not do willingly, no matter the consequences.A retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth, a story of fate, the struggle for power, and love found in the most unexpected places.





	1. Chapter 1

I knew the Olympians. I knew their games, their sins, their debauchery, how fickle their attention and affections were. I saw the results of their actions every day and it disgusted me. They were all kings and queens, accustomed to taking whatever they wanted, no matter the cost, no matter if it was consensual.  
That was how I was created, and many others were like me in that aspect. It made me sick to my stomach to think about how my mother looked at me, a removed love with undertones of horror. I couldn’t blame her for it though.  
“Persephone, sister, why does your face look so sour?” Aphrodite spoke suddenly, pulling me from my thoughts, her voice a sultry but irritating whine from where she was reclining on a lounge across the room.  
“The only good type of sour is sour wine!” Dionysus moved closer and I could feel his unruly curls brush against my hair as he peered into my goblet. “You should have some more! Do you not like it?”  
I took a long drink to appease him and to get him away from me. It would help me not think for awhile, but the course of a few hours felt as insignificant as a grain of sand to an immortal like me. “No, it’s lovely.”  
“Aren’t you enjoying yourself? We could find you a nymph to keep you company, if you wished.” Aphrodite leaned towards me, grinning like a wolf, but I was watching how the translucent fabric of her peplos fell away to reveal skin. “If you’re worried about not knowing what you’re doing, I could give you some pointers.”  
I took another long drink to prevent myself from having to stammer a reply to my sister.  
“There’s beautiful music, too. I happen to be enjoying myself.” Apollo was lounging with Ganymede, the cupbearer and lover both Zeus and Apollo shared, completely naked and covered in oil. Because Apollo’s hands were busy with his lyre, Ganymede brought a goblet to Apollo’s lips.  
“All of you look far too deeply into my thoughts, siblings. I was just thinking about the harvest. There’s some kind of disease that’s been wiping out a lot of crops.”  
“Persephone is her mother’s daughter, after all.” Athena walked into the room, removing her helm and shaking her dark hair loose.  
“You look absolutely horrible,” Aphrodite commented, voicing what we were all thinking.  
“Does the blood of my enemies not count as proper rouge? I haven’t noticed,” Athena quipped. Her armor was stained with blood, and her sword, though sheathed, was most likely covered in it. Dried brown made crescent rings under her nails.  
“Welcome home.” I made room for her on the lounge next to me. “Where have you been?”  
“Troy.” She accepted the seat and sat with a heavy sigh, starting to unfasten her chest plate. “It has been a long day.”  
“I’ll help you,” I offered, giving my goblet to her, which she quickly downed. She moved closer to me as I helped her out of her armor, pausing to ask, “Ganymede, can you please bring some oil to me?”  
He obliged only because it was his job to serve us, much to Apollo’s disappointment.  
I coated my hands with oil and began rubbing her shoulders. I did not mind that her skin was smeared with blood and that it mixed with the oil. As any immortal would, I had seen a lot of it in my time, if not distantly. My thumbs made their way down her spine as she attempted to relax into my touch, but her muscles remained corded and tough, refusing to loosen at all costs.  
Aphrodite and Apollo cast a few side glances at each other and I ignored them. They thought we were lovers, and I supposed we looked like we were. Athena was naked, sitting between my thighs, and resting against my chest as my hands started to knead her sides. We were only friends; they could believe what they wanted. Although I thought about the possibility of us together often, Athena had voiced to me and to the others many times that she had no care for matters of the heart and sex. They didn’t believe her, but I did.  
Even with Athena, though she was less like the others, I was careful to call her a friend. All the gods were occasionally struck with rage and pride that they could not see past. I kept the memory of what she did to Medusa and Arachne as a reminder, or a warning. On the other hand, she didn’t chase after unwitting mortals and rape them either, like some of the gods. I fought not to look at Apollo with revulsion.  
“I’m glad I caught you before you returned to the mortal world. We do not often meet when we are both there,” Athena said, moving her hair over her shoulder to braid it.  
“No, we do not,” I agreed. I assisted my mother with agriculture, and Athena’s wars were places crops did not grow.  
“How long are you here before you must leave?”  
“A day or two. I’m not entirely sure. Mother said she would call on me when I am needed.”  
“Ah, yes… Demeter.” Athena paused and the silence between us grew ripe. “How is she?”  
“I’ll let you know when I see her.” I slipped, letting some of my bitterness flow into my voice.  
My mother, Demeter, stayed in the mortal world. It was her domain and nearly as far from Zeus as she could get. After my birth, she left me on Olympus for the other gods to raise. I lived here, with them, and occasionally went down to Earth to help my mother. I had inherited her green thumb, but thankfully, nothing from my father.  
“At least Zeus let your mother live, Persephone.”  
“She is a child of Cronus and Rhea, just as he is. He wouldn’t kill her.”  
Zeus was our father, a father to many, many people, but he was not well-liked. He took after his own father in more ways than one. Zeus swallowing Metis and Athena because of a prophecy—that the offspring he had with Metis would overthrow him—was nearly identical to what Cronus had done to start the Titanomachy.  
In a way, I did enjoy my brief leaves of absence from Olympus. The Olympians’ antics were exhausting, as the desire for peace and quiet was hardly one of their priorities, and I was constantly forced to act as though I enjoyed myself. Regardless of looking forward to a respite from the chaos and drama, my complicated relationship with my mother always soured any prospects of truly enjoying myself while I was away from home.  
Dionysus changed the tone, pouring another glass of wine for me and refilling Athena’s. “We’ll have the grandest harvest party before you leave!”  
“That’s not necessary. I have to do this every year!” I chuckled and sipped my wine.  
Athena turned to me. “Thank you for this. Here, let me return the favor.”  
I obliged and we switched positions, Athena’s lean thighs putting pressure on my hips. I unclipped the fibulae holding my peplos up and let the fabric fall to my waist. Nudity was not uncommon in Olympus. The Olympians were all lovers in some way or another, and no one would bat an eye at me. I passed her the oil and she slathered it over my skin. I sighed when her thumbs pressed into the muscles lining my spine.  
“You’re tense.”  
“Says you,” I laughed and lifted my gaze to the rest of my family in the room, who were eyeing us again. “Don’t you all have something better to do than watch us?”  
“You’ve grown quite beautiful, Persephone. Naturally, it is because I had a hand in raising you.” Aphrodite smiled and went to brush a lock of golden red hair behind her ear, but thought better of the futility and pinned it back into her updo. “I swear, the Charites are never around when I need them. Hera hoards all their time to herself.”  
I watched it all, transfixed. She was incredibly beautiful, more attractive than any mortal could ever imagine, and even to the gods, her beauty was blindingly radiant and always shifting.  
Athena’s beauty was not as soft and startling as Aphrodite’s, but sharp and defined, like a sculpture. Her brows were full and straight, a prominent feature on her face, as was her sculpted nose. Her jaw was square, strong and defiant. She looked how she acted and in that way, her beauty was her own and I admired her for it.  
“I haven’t grown in ages, sister. You know this.”  
“But ahhhh!” Aphrodite’s eyes glinted. “You are yet to become a woman, Kore. Anyone of us could help you with that problem, even Athena, if her fingers wandered just a little bit lower…”  
Athena removed her hands from me out of decency. “Aphrodite, quit looking into something that isn’t there. You know of the heart, you know what people feel, and you know as well as I that I feel none of it.”  
“Stone cold bitch, you are.” Aphrodite teased.  
“Is that something to be ashamed of? I hadn’t noticed,” Athena shrugged. “As for Persephone, I do wish you wouldn’t tease her. People can’t help fantasizing about me.”  
Aphrodite laughed. “And they say I’m vain!”  
The doors opened loudly and we all looked to see Artemis stride through them, her bow strung across her back and a faithful stag trailing behind her. Her eyes began to sweep over the room. “Have any of you seen my… Ah, Apollo. I thought I’d find you here. Good to see you’ve been enjoying yourself.”  
Apollo sat up from where he had been lying with Ganymede, brow furrowed in displeasure from her tone. “What do you want?”  
“Asclepius needs your help. He told me you were supposed to arrive hours ago.”  
“My son?” A moment passed. “Oh, yes! Well, as you can see, I was a little distracted.”  
“I can tell.” Artemis did not appear amused. She had assisted with the difficult birth of her brother just days after she had been born, and had continued to act as the responsible figure in his life ever since. She looked around the room and her eyes landed on us. “Athena, welcome home. I’m surprised to see you here and not in some great war room.”  
“I had Nike take over for me. I’ve been away for weeks and thought it was time to return. There were some projects I had started that I thought I would finish.”  
“Did you hear the news?” Artemis asked the question coyly, waiting for the rest of us to react as she casually stroked the stag’s head.  
Aphrodite’s eyes lit up as she leaned towards Artemis. “News?”  
“Hades is coming to visit our father and Poseidon.”  
Silence as we all looked at each other. Hades hadn’t visited Olympus since before my birth. I had never met him, but there were plenty of legends of the eldest son of Cronus.  
Hades was the fourth child and first son to be devoured by Cronus.  
Hades was a war hero during the Titanomachy.  
Hades drew the lot for the Underworld, his third of the spoils.  
Hades was rich beyond compare.  
Hades was malevolent and frigid.  
Hades was king to only the dead and the rocks.  
“When?”  
“Tonight.”  
“Do you know why?”  
“No.”  
The doors behind Artemis opened again and Zeus walked in. We all immediately bowed and chorused, “Father.”  
“What are you all doing here? Is there a party?”  
“Unfortunately, no,” Dionysus sighed. “I wanted to throw a harvest party for Persephone before she leaves, but she refused.”  
“It is time for the Harvest, isn’t it?” Zeus eyed me carefully, a look that lasted several seconds longer than I was comfortable with. I picked up the peplos that was gathered around my waist and the fibulae beside me and clipped the top up again to cover myself. “You’re beginning to look so much like your mother, Persephone, so much.”  
No one said anything.I swallowed my revulsion. Zeus had never tried anything with me before, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t. I just hoped it never happened and that if it did, I could somehow fight him off, unlike my mother, unlike so many women before me.  
“Tell your mother I said hello and that she should really consider visiting sometime. I miss her.”  
“I will.” I forced a false smile. Beside me, Athena moved closer and wrapped her arm around me protectively. She knew of his intentions and she was not a goddess he would cross easily, even if he was king of the gods. “Hopefully you don’t miss my mother too much. I doubt Hera would be very pleased.”  
Zeus lost his smirk, but continued to address the rest of the room. “Hades is coming to speak with me tonight, and we are not to be disturbed.”  
“Why? Is something wrong in the Underworld?” Athena shrugged on her armor. “I haven’t heard anything from Hermes or the Keres, and they tend to speak of such matters.”  
“It’s none of your concern, daughter. You have your battles to fight elsewhere.” He left without another word and we let out our breaths. He was the only person any of us had to hold our tongues around and it was difficult.  
My siblings were quiet, strangely so, and I suspected something had happened, although whatever it was remained unknown to me. They had been paying closer attention to me than usual in the last few months. Perhaps my secretive, private nature prevented my siblings from realizing how observant I was, or perhaps it was their own vanity for never noticing anything more than surface traits in those around them. They thought I wouldn’t notice the cut conversations when I entered rooms, the artificial pleasantry and small talk that followed, the heavy glances exchanged when they thought I wasn’t looking. If I had any idea what the meaning of it was, I would have confronted them about it long ago, but they had revealed nothing to me all this time, and they wouldn’t start now.  
They resumed their gossip and snide remarks about other deities who weren’t present, but their talk seemed forced, as if they thought they could speak over the strange conversation I had with Zeus.  
After a while, I dismissed myself. “I think I’m going to retire for the evening. It’s been a long day, thanks to all of you.”  
Athena stood with me, gathering her things. “Before you return home, would you walk with me to my temple? There’s something I’d like to show you.”  
Aphrodite raised her eyebrows suggestively, which sent everyone else into throes of laughter. We ignored them and left. The room and the gods had been suffocating me all day, with their forced sibling bonding before my departure, and I was glad to step outside and breathe the warm evening air of Olympus. The sky had already been painted with streaks of orange and red, as Hemera entered Erebus and Nyx left it, or so the mortals say, and I realized I had been with my siblings longer than I thought.  
“Athena, what do you want to…”  
“Shhh, Persephone. Wait a moment and don’t move. Stand right there, don’t speak.”  
“What?”  
“I said don’t speak. The lighting is absolutely exquisite on you and I want to commit it to memory.”  
I waited and watched her calmly. I watched her clear eyes flicker over every inch of me, assessing the contrast, the shadows, the planes of my face, and even the folds of my peplos, doing exactly what she had told me to do when she taught me how to paint.  
“Okay, I’ve finished. This will make a wonderful portrait. Come, I want to start it immediately.” Athena offered her arm and we strolled through the golden streets of Olympus.  
“Our siblings are too much for me sometimes. They smother me and it is unbearable.”  
“I will agree with you. Their games of sex and marriage and affection are something I will never understand and never wish to.” She paused for a moment, watching me. “Will you be glad to leave?”  
I gave her the simple answer. “Yes.”  
“You should come with me to the mortal world sometime, Persephone.”  
“I am a goddess of flowers and weeds and growth. You would have no use for me on your battlefields.” I gave her a lopsided grin, thinking it was sweet of her to offer.  
“Your godly gifts may not help you, but I put a sword in one hand and Artemis put a bow in the other when you learned how to walk. We’ve trained you. You are a warrior, whether you like it or not. You are far more capable than you like to think.”  
“I don’t think war is for me, Athena, but thank you for the offer.”  
“It is important to know how to defend yourself, especially from men. You haven’t forgotten my training, have you?”  
“No.”  
“That’s good. You will need it.”  
We arrived at her temple. All of the gods in Olympus had one to serve as their home while they stayed there. I had a temple, but it was small. I wasn’t one of the Dodekatheon, the Twelve Olympians, but Athena was. Her temple was mostly constructed of white marble, simple and minimalistic compared to the temples of Hera and Aphrodite. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with scriptures she’d probably read five times over; an armory that contained countless weapons and pieces of armor, all used, was tucked away in a side hallway opposite her bedroom; the central room of her temple was currently littered with art supplies. I obliged her wish, staying as her companion while she began working on a painting of me. She wouldn’t let me watch.  
“I know you’re impatient but I promise it won’t take much longer. If a human were to paint this, it would take months.”  
“For a painting this small?” I pointed to the canvas in disbelief.  
“Yes, but the goddess of the arts works quickly and makes no mistakes. You’ll love it, I promise. You can gift it to Demeter when you see her.”  
I let out one harsh laugh. “If she’ll accept it.”  
Athena stopped her brushstrokes to focus on me and sighed. “She loves you, Persephone, truly. I know it is incredibly difficult for you, but your situation is rather complicated.”  
“I remind her of him, I know. I see it in her eyes every time she looks at me. I don’t blame her for it. I know it was his fault and she couldn’t do anything about it, but…”  
“But?” Athena nudged me to continue.  
“I wish she would have tried with me and not left me here.”  
“She was quite vulnerable after the ordeal. The earth suffered for it, too. When you were born, life was breathed back into it, but Demeter was left altered. She was very frail and in no condition to raise you.”  
“Those are excuses.”  
“They are,” Athena agreed. “I will not pretend to know how Demeter felt. You have every right to be angry with her, for leaving you with the gods here. They do not make for good parenting, but I hope I helped you retain even a little shred of sanity.”  
I smiled. “You did.”  
“I’m nearly finished. You should really try to give this to Demeter.”  
The mention of my harvest visit shifted my mind to another topic. “I’m tired of this cycle, living here, my brief scheduled visits with my mother. I wish it was all over and I was free.”  
“Where would you go? The mortal world? What would you do there?”  
“I’ve never thought about it. I should be free to do as I please. I am a goddess and we aren’t told what to do.”  
“We are goddesses, but we all have responsibilities…”  
“I have none. I can make the flowers grow, and Hera and Aphrodite adore my bouquets, but I’m not required for anything useful, like you or the others.  
“If you decide to leave, I’ll support your choice. You are your own woman.”  
“That’s reassuring, thank you.”  
We chatted for awhile until she deemed the portrait finished and revealed it to me. It was breathtakingly beautiful, but I would have expected nothing less from her. My skin had been bathed in golden light, my lashes cast shadows under my green eyes, my hair, the color of mahogany wood, was streaked with dark shades of black and lighter shades of auburn, and the folds of my peplos were painted so realistically that it was like the painting was a mirror.  
I loved it, truly, but because I had no use for such things, I decided I would bring it with me for my mother. Maybe she would like to see me shining in the sunlight, like one of her plants. I held it carefully, afraid of smearing it as I carried it back to my temple.  
It was dark, the stars and constellations of fallen heroes and lovers decorating the sky, when I left Athena’s place. The air was refreshingly cool, a nice reprieve from the scorchingly hot day we had suffered, hot enough to make a weight press down on my lungs. Olympus was sleeping, save for Dionysus and a few others, and all was quiet. A breeze blew through my hair and caressed my skin, and I decided to make the walk to my temple last longer. It was not often this peaceful, though I would like it to be.  
I started to wonder why it was so quiet, but then I remembered that Zeus was meeting with Hades and had warned us not to disturb them. I hated to admit that I was at least a little curious about my uncle, how mysterious and private he was, in his dark underworld. I wondered if he had left already.  
I reached my temple too soon and set my painting inside on a desk, but I couldn’t bring myself to surrender to sleep. I was anxious, as I always was in the days prior to returning to my mother, and left my home to wander again.  
I ended up at one of the shallow pools at the perimeter of Olympus and permitted myself to sit in the grass, hike up my peplos, and cool my feet in the water. I watched the ripples dissolve the reflection of stars as I moved my feet quietly.  
This was peace. This was everything I wanted.  
“Persephone?” a female voice asked quietly.  
I turned towards the voice. The woman, whoever she was, was covered in a black shroud that masked her features. “Yes?”  
“I wasn’t sure if it was you. We haven’t met.”  
“No? I thought I’d met everyone in Olympus.” I eyed her warily, but even the shroud couldn’t hide the faint luminescent glow underneath her skin that all the immortals had. She was, without a doubt, a goddess.  
“I’m sure you have. I don’t visit all that often.”  
“Are you one of the chthonic deities? I’m afraid I don’t know much about you all. Are you… Hecate?” I knew Hecate was known for being extremely mysterious, but they all were, down there.  
She chuckled. “No, I’m not Hecate, but you were right about me being a chthonic deity. I do live in the Underworld. May I sit with you?”  
“Yes, of course.” I watched her sit beside me and dip her pale feet into the water as I had done. “Who were you visiting?”  
“I just came from Hestia’s temple.”  
“Hestia? I wouldn’t have expected, though I mean no offense.”  
“None taken. I know Hestia is not the best company, but she will speak if you are truly willing to listen. She is very wise, you know. Older than any of us.”  
I raised my eyebrow to the hint to her identity. Younger than Hestia, but a chthonic deity?  
“She’s the eldest child of Cronus and Rhea, I know, but even after all my time here, I know nothing about her. I should speak with her, if you recommend it, but I’m afraid I’ll be leaving soon.”  
“Leaving?”  
“To the mortal world. I must assist my mother, Demeter, with the harvest.” Even now, where my hands rested upon the grass, wildflowers were starting to bloom. “I have her gift with plants, you see.”  
“I do indeed.”  
I grew a narcissus, a personal favorite of mine, on purpose. The white petals of the flower reminded me of my companion’s feet. I plucked it from the earth, though I didn’t always do so. I liked to leave flowers where they were, but if she lived in the Underworld, she probably never saw them. Besides, I could always grow more. I offered it to her. “Would you like it?”  
“It’s beautiful. I would love it.” She took it from me softly, her pale thumb brushing against mine. It was a brief gesture, though I felt the warmth long after. “What is it called?”  
“A narcissus. I love them.”  
“Then I love them as well.”  
We sat in a comfortable silence for quite a few moments before the troubles of the day and my unhappiness caught up to me again. “May I speak freely with you? There is so much I cannot say to my brothers and sisters here.”  
“Of course you may.”  
“I would like to leave this place and never return.”  
“Oh?” She seemed surprised and intrigued that I would say such a thing, but I knew many people would be surprised if they knew what I truly thought. I knew I looked soft, young, and not the type of woman to be cynical, but I was. “How come?”  
“The gods and goddesses… they are sick. Privilege is a sickness not even gods are immune to. They are too accustomed to having so much and taking whatever else they want, and that includes people. They do vile things, to each other and to the humans, just because it pleases them. Growing up here, being raised by them, I’ve seen so much and it sickens me.”  
The shrouded goddess was quiet for several moments and my heart quickened, thinking I had overstepped. Surely, she was going to run screaming to Zeus and tell him of my indiscretions and I would be punished… severely. She spoke, finally. “I have to agree with you, Persephone. The truth in your views is… startlingly refreshing.”  
“Tell me, since I know nothing and am as ignorant as a child on the topic of the Underworld, are the gods and goddesses there the same?”  
She didn’t answer for a moment. “We are not as entitled as these great gods, no. We live in the shadows, shunned, rarely worshiped, but we are not free from sin. Do you think anyone is?”  
“No, I suppose not.”  
“Neither do I, not when you have eternity to live out your days. We just do not pretend that we are so much more than others.”  
“Thank you for your honesty.” I paused. “It couldn’t possibly be worse than this wretched place, with gilded bricks polished with the blood of the innocent. Tell me, what of the geography? What does it look like?”  
“Quite the curious one, aren’t you, Persephone?”  
“If I am to leave here, I’d like to know my options.”  
“Very well. It is not beautiful. It is dark, dull, bleak, nothing like this place. Regardless, I have acquired a taste for it and its quiet beauty.”  
“This beauty is a lie.”  
“So it is.” I think I saw the curve of her mouth turn upwards. “It is usually dark, as if eternally night, the realm of the dead, where no life can grow, but it is more. The realm is vast, unending, and home to many, many people. The souls of the dead reside in different parts of the Underworld. Elysium, or the Elysian Fields, is the afterlife and home for heroes and in Elysium, there are the Isles of the Blessed, where worthy souls choose to be reborn. The Fields of Asphodel are for the more ordinary souls, those who have not achieved true greatness or those that have sinned, and Tartarus… well, I’m sure you’ve heard of it.”  
“Where the Titans are kept?”  
She nodded. “And the extremely bad souls.”  
I was captured by these details, which felt like forbidden knowledge. Speaking of the Underworld in Olympus was something like an unspoken taboo. No one mentioned it. “Go on, please.”  
“Many immortals and creatures reside there as well. Hades rules over the Underworld, of course, but there are others. Hecate, the Erinyes, Thanatos, Hypnos, Melinoe, Nyx, the Judges, Charon, and even more. There are different types of nymphs, too.”  
“That’s amazing. I had no idea. And the geography? I’ve heard there are rivers!”  
“The Styx, the Acheron, the Lethe, the Phlegethon, and the Cocytus, but they aren’t all necessarily made of water.”  
“What do you mean? I thought all rivers were.”  
“Do you really think that rivers in the Underworld would be like those of the mortal world, Persephone?”  
I blushed. “I apologize, but I don’t even see the rivers of the mortal world very often.”  
The woman rolled the flower stem between her fingers. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you, Persephone. I forget what it means to be young. I don’t blame you for not knowing. I know the Olympians are rather scared of the Underworld and don’t like to talk about it.”  
“I’m not that young.”  
“To me, you are. I don’t mean it as an insult, either. Youth is refreshing, fleeting.” She paused and turned her head to the moon. “The Phlegethon is a river of fire that leads to the mouth of Tartarus, Lethe is a river made of the memories it takes, Cocytus is made of lost souls and oh, how they wail. It never ceases. The Acheron is made of water so cold that touching it will turn your skin to ice and Styx is Charon’s river, where he ferries the souls across.”  
“Those certainly do not sound like rivers in the mortal world.”  
She was quiet. “I’m afraid I have to be leaving soon. I have responsibilities to attend to and I’ve stayed away longer than I should have.”  
“It was nice meeting you,” I murmured, adding after a pause, “and thank you for listening.”  
She stood and smoothed her black peplos. “You really should come visit, if you haven’t been swayed. I think you will find yourself amongst enjoyable, perhaps even relatable, company.”  
“Thank you for your invitation.” I stood with her, ready to retire as well.  
She touched my arm lightly, long and surprisingly warm fingers making slight indents in my skin as she pulled me closer. “You really should be careful. It’s not safe for you in Olympus anymore, not alone, not at night.”  
I pulled free of her grasp. “What do you mean?”  
She seemed cautious to continue. “He talks of you, tells me of your beauty, and I fear he will come for you soon.”  
“Who do you speak of?” I pressed on urgently. “Tell me so I may be ready. I was trained by Athena and Artemis. I am more capable than I look.”  
“For that, I am glad, and I am also glad you will be free of this place for a short time. Persephone, I swear, if you ever need a home, a place safe from these greedy, filthy gods, the Underworld is open to you, and it provides more protection than one would think.”  
“Tell me who intends to take me. Apollo? Ares?”  
She sighed and the moonlight illuminated her face just enough for me to see the concern and worry in her eyes, and with it, pity. “Zeus.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persephone heeds the warning and prepares for the Harvest and visit with her mother, the goddess Demeter.

I decided to take a few refresher courses with Athena to make sure my skill in battle was still present. What the dark goddess had said had shaken me deeply because I knew it to be true. I had seen Zeus’ wandering eyes, and the tight, worried expressions that crossed my siblings’ faces. They knew he was going to try to take me, but they could do nothing about it. He was our father, the king of all the gods, and his will was not easily disobeyed without dire consequences.  
I had seen the damage Zeus could do to an immortal goddess. I had seen my mother, how she looked at me, how her mental wounds still hadn’t healed. I was not going to let it happen willingly. I would be ready.  
Visiting my mother was beginning to appeal to me more than it usually did. The mortal world would put some distance between my father and I, and maybe while I was gone, his eyes would wander elsewhere.  
I never did catch the mysterious goddess’ name and it bothered me. She left soon after her warning, and I nearly ran to my temple, though I knew it wouldn’t offer me any protection. Long into the night, I eventually succumbed to sleep, and it wasn’t Zeus that haunted my dreams, but her.  
I didn’t dare ask anyone. They would want to know what we talked about and my words had crossed the lines of blasphemy, so I held my tongue and continued about my day, the events of the previous night still weighing heavily on my mind.  
Shaking my head clear, I circled around Athena with newfound concentration. I could tell she had held off an attack because she noticed I wasn’t paying attention. She nodded to make sure I was back in the present, and I nodded back to her.  
Athena lunged at me with her sword and I blocked it with my shield, stepping out of the way and bracing my arm for the force. She left herself vulnerable with so aggressive an attack. I swung my sword to her neck, pausing just before it reached her, and almost smiled at my victory. Her eyes glanced down and I saw her second short sword at my side. We both withdrew from the tie.  
My short chiton was drenched in sweat, the fabric clinging to my thighs. The hair that had fallen out of its knot was plastered to the back of my neck. We had been sparring for a while and it was midday in summer, entirely too hot. I set my weapons down to greedily drink from a water skin.  
“You haven’t forgotten much. That’s very good.” Athena smiled, sheathing her weapons at her side.  
I caught my breath and wiped my brow, squinting at the sun in annoyance. “Women cannot afford to forget how to protect themselves.”  
Artemis, watching us from the shade and waiting for me so we could start archery practice, commented. “That’s certainly very true.” She held up a bow for me. “Are you ready?”  
“No.” I walked over to her and collapsed in the shade, taking the bow from her and setting it beside me. “Give me a moment to rest. I am not used to fighting as the both of you are, and it’s so hot, I feel like death is coming to get me.”  
They laughed at my joke while I took off my chiton and lay in the grass as the breeze cooled me. All around my naked body, wildflowers bloomed. I picked them and wove them into a flower crown, handing it to Artemis, who accepted it happily. She was never one for jewelry or metal armor, favoring skins she could move easily in, but I knew she’d like the flower crown.  
“When are you leaving, Athena?” I asked absently, making conversation.  
“I think I’ll leave when you do. I came home to catch you before you left and my vacation shouldn’t be longer than necessary.”  
“That’s fair. Mother should be calling on me within another day or so.” I sipped more water and stretched my arms before putting my damp chiton back on. “I’m ready.”  
Artemis had taken the time to set up targets while I was busy with Athena, so I grabbed the bow and quiver and stepped out into the horrid sunlight again. Jokingly, I cursed, “Helios, why?”  
“He has been merciless this summer, hasn’t he?” Athena mused. “Though there are other parts of the world hotter than this, Persephone.”  
“How do the humans not melt?”  
“Oh, the heat takes many of them, surely. Their bodies can’t withstand it, but they don’t melt,” Athena said while Artemis and I moved to the targets.  
I squared my shoulders and withdrew an arrow. I kept the closest target in my sights as I tried to remember all the bits of advice Artemis had given me. I pulled back the string, arm steady, fired, withdrew another arrow, fired it at the next closest, withdrew a third arrow, and released it at the farthest target.  
Artemis moved to the targets to inspect them. “You aimed perfectly at the first one, but the arrows start to stray the farther away the targets are. It’s to be expected, accuracy decreases the longer the range.”  
I frowned. “Well, if they had been people, did I hit them all?”  
“Right into the heart of the first, the shoulder of the second, and the abdomen of the third.”  
“It’s better than I thought I would do. I’ve never been very good at this.”  
“You aren’t a novice, by any means.”  
“Sister, you can’t be the best at everything!” Athena called and I turned to her. She, too, had removed her chiton and was lying naked in the shade, watching us with her hand holding her chin, elbow propped in the grass.  
“Says you!”  
She laughed, a beautiful sound when she meant it. “Well, not everyone can be the goddess of wisdom, the arts, strategic warfare, courage, strength…”  
Beside me, Artemis rolled her eyes. “Alright, we get it. The goddess of bragging, too.”  
I laughed, even harder when Athena shrugged and didn’t deny it, but I sobered quickly. “I don’t think I’ve improved with this very much, which is disheartening, and I doubt I could hit a moving target.”  
“Would you like to know how you can remedy that?” Artemis smiled, flashing her teeth. “Athena, throw me something.”  
“Hmm?” Athena hummed, confused. “Oh, right. Here you go.” She threw, with perfect accuracy, an apple to Artemis, who plucked it out of the air with ease.  
Artemis, apple in hand, moved to put her back against the middle range target. She rubbed her head, which she kept shaved for less maintenance, and sat the apple on her head. “Hit it.”  
“What? With you under it? I’ll probably hit you!”  
“Don’t worry about it. Pressure is what makes you better.”  
Pressure made my hands shake as I slowly withdrew another arrow from the quiver and nocked it. I pulled the string back carefully and eyed the apple, trying to test the wind. Artemis stood as still as a statue, a skill required for any good hunter, and waited, eyes clear, unafraid. My arm was starting to hurt and tremble. I straightened my posture, eyed the apple again, aimed, and released. As soon as I did, I realized my aim was slightly too low. “No!”  
Artemis caught the arrow by its shaft before it had the chance to sink itself between her brows. She twisted it around between her fingers, amused. “Well, if you were aiming to kill me, I’d say you were dead on.”  
“I wasn’t.” I paused, still in awe of her ability to catch the arrow from midair. “How did you do that?”  
“We can both do it!” Athena added from the shade.  
“Eons of practice. I wouldn’t be the goddess of archery if I could let myself be killed by a simple arrow, could I?” Artemis smiled and threw the arrow at our spectator. It flew through the air just like it had been fired from a bow and Athena caught it with ease. “You just need more practice, Persephone. It’s fine. Try again.”  
I was readying to shoot another arrow, this time with more confidence knowing that I wouldn’t maim my sibling, when Hermes appeared beside me. I yelped and let the arrow fly by accident. “Hermes! I told you to stop doing that!”  
He smiled knowingly. He enjoyed startling us too much to ever want to stop. “What are you three lovely ladies doing?”  
“Practicing!” Athena called from behind me.  
“Persephone, look!” Artemis got my attention and I turned to see her step out from under the apple that was embedded into the target with my arrow.  
“That was an accident. I wasn’t even looking.” I was smiling regardless of my coincidental accuracy, but I turned back to Hermes. “What are you here for?”  
“You, sister. I bring a message from your mother. She wants you in Eleusis by tonight.”  
“So soon? I thought I had another day.”  
“She said she needs to speak with you, but she didn’t specify about what. Something private, apparently.”  
I wasn’t prepared to leave. “Well, I would need to gather my things. I take it you are to escort me?”  
“That seems to be the case. I suppose we have a few hours yet, so if you don’t mind, I’m going to wander and hope I run into Peitho. Or, rather, if any of you see her, do send her my way.” He disappeared without waiting for our responses because he knew we wouldn’t tell her.  
“Well, it seems as though our fun has been cut short.” Athena stood and stepped into her chiton. “I can help you pack and see you off.”  
“You’re welcome to.” I turned to Artemis. “Until next time, sister. I will be sure to treat the animals feeding on the crops justly. Thank you for the practice. I will get it eventually.”  
“Thank you.” Artemis leaned in for an embrace and we kissed each other on the cheek.  
Athena and I went to the bathhouse closest to my temple to bathe and clean the sweat from our skin. The water was cool, shockingly so, and since I had a few more hours to waste, I savored it.  
“I feel positively disgusting,” I commented as I started scrubbing my skin with soap.  
“Just imagine being caked in blood, dirt, and excrement.”  
“I’d rather not, but I know what it means to be covered in dirt.” I laughed and rinsed my hair. “Tell me, have you ever been to the Underworld?”  
“Why do you ask?”  
“No reason. Just curious.”  
“I can’t say that I have, but I haven’t had a reason to go. Dead soldiers are of no use to me.”  
Her comment sounded callous, but I knew she was just thinking from the most logical standpoint. Much of what she said came with a similar tone, so I ignored it.  
“But haven’t you been curious to know what it’s like?”  
“I’ve read about it many times so I suppose my intellectual curiosity has been sated on that subject. You could ask Hermes, if you’re so determined. He is required to go there periodically. If you ask me, the realm of the dead is no place for immortals.”  
“And what of the chthonic deities?”  
“They are… different.” She paused as she looked me over slowly, trying to understand my sudden interest in the topic. “If you think you have no place on a battlefield, why is the goddess of plants asking about the Underworld?”  
“It… intrigues me.”  
“Well, if you plan on exploring, do be careful. The Underworld has its own rules that even we must abide by. Ask Hermes about it, he will be able to tell you more.”  
We dried ourselves and made our way to my temple. I gathered several short chitons to be used for working during the harvest, a few simple peploi, and one ornate peplos for any rituals I had to attend. Athena’s painting, still drying, was retrieved from my desk. After I was packed and ready, Athena and I socialized for a couple more hours.  
Hermes found me when the sun was starting to set and Athena followed us to the edge of Olympus, my small bag of belongings in one hand and the painting in my other.  
Athena bit her lip nervously while she eyed Hermes and decided to pull me in for a tight hug. As she kissed my cheek, she whispered softly to me, too quiet for him to hear. “If you don’t return, write often, visit me on Earth. You are dear to me.”  
“I will,” I murmured as I pulled away. “Thank you for the portrait. It’s amazing, as always.”  
“Goodbye, Persephone.”  
Hermes looped his arm through mine and we lifted into the air. I waved goodbye to Athena, standing at the gates. “Farewell!”  
He waited until we had left Olympus to start speaking. “I’m going to be honest with you, Demeter does not seem happy.”  
“Does she ever?”  
“Point taken, but she’s worse this time.”  
I mumbled a curse under my breath and Hermes laughed. When we descended from the heavens and entered the mortal world, I remembered what I actually wanted to talk to him about. “Oh, Hermes, you’ve been to the Underworld, right?”  
“I occasionally have to accompany certain souls there, yes. Why do you ask about such a dark place, sister?”  
“I was thinking of taking a vacation from Olympus, but Earth just reminds me of my mother…”  
He laughed and held me at a distance to look at me, taking precautions not to let me fall. “Persephone, I had no idea you had such courage!”  
“You’re not going to stop me?”  
“No, the opposite! I’m going to encourage it. It will shake things up if you mysteriously disappear for awhile.”  
“I’m just weighing the idea, nothing is certain yet.”  
“Well, if you do end up going, you will need this.” A strange thin circle of metal appeared in his hand.  
I took it, unsure if it was divine or not. “What is this?”  
“It’s called an obol and it’s a type of currency. They’re traded for goods and services as a payment. The mortals are rather untrusting of each other… for good reason.”  
“Interesting, but why would I need it in the Underworld?”  
“You’ll see.”  
“How will I get to the Underworld? I can’t die, as you well know.” I looked to see the ground approaching quickly. I would soon be handed over to my mother for the next few weeks.  
“You? Hmmm… I suppose the closest entrance to Eleusis would be, ah, yes. Going to the Underworld is tricky, if you aren’t dead, you know. You’ll have to travel east from your mother’s home and you will eventually come to a dark grove. The grove itself is inaccessible to mortals, but you should have no trouble going through it. When you emerge on the other side, you’ll be by Oceanus and there should be a cave near the shore. Follow its depths and it will take you to the Underworld.”  
“Sounds rather complicated, and far.”  
“It should only take a few hours at a good walking pace.” He paused to look below us. “Look, there’s your mother.”  
“Don’t remind me.”  
“I’ll visit if you gather the courage to take your morbid vacation. It will be an amazing trick if you do a disappearing act.”  
I smiled as I stuck the obol into my bag. “I’ll be sure to remember that. Thank you for the advice.”  
Our feet touched the earth and Demeter looked at me with a forced smile. Her following of various kinds of nymphs, Dryades, Anthousai, and Meliai, bowed to me and Hermes.  
“Aunt.” Hermes nodded his respect to my mother.  
“Welcome back, Neotera,” Kalligeneia, my mother’s favorite nymph, greeted me with an epithet of mine that was frequently used in Eleusis. Neotera meant “the younger,” as “the older” referred to my mother.  
“You’re free to go, Hermes. Persephone will send for you when she’s no longer needed here.”  
Hermes touched my shoulder with sympathy and was gone the next instant, leaving my mother and I looking at each other.  
“This is for you.” I held out the painting awkwardly. “Athena thought you might like it.”  
She took it, holding it at length to look it over, and smiled faintly. “She always was amazing at her art.”  
“You’re so beautiful in it!” Kalligeneia looked over Demeter’s shoulder.  
“I will be sure to thank her for it.” She paused to look up at me. “It’s nice to see you again, daughter.”  
At least she was trying. “You as well. Now, may I ask what was so urgent? I was in the middle of my fighting practice with Athena and Artemis when Hermes got me.”  
Her expression darkened, brown eyes narrowing. “It’s a private matter. I’ll speak to you tonight. You’re late and we should be attending the harvest ceremony right now. Can’t you feel the air begin to chill?”  
“Not in Olympus. The heat may be comparable to the surface of the sun.”  
“The sun does shine differently there, doesn’t it?” Her words were bitter and I didn’t disagree. “Kalligeneia will prepare you for the ritual.” My mother motioned to me and left with the painting, her brown hair shining in the dying light.  
I hadn’t expected anything less from her. She had always been a distant relative that was nearly a stranger at forced family gatherings. The alienation and stiff formality were all too familiar to me.  
Kalligeneia touched my arm. “We need to hurry. She had a peplos and himation made for you. She wants you to wear it for the ritual.” She led me into Demeter’s temple to ready me. She bathed me in earthy-smelling soaps, braided my hair with flowers, and helped me into my new peplos. Both the peplos and himation were black and embroidered, green thread twining up the fabric like vines and blooming into red poppies. The fibulae were gold, engraved with rubies that also formed poppies, matching the armbands that were slid onto my biceps.  
The ritual was short and sweet, though my mother and I had to pretend we liked each other. Nymphs and mortal priestesses chanted and danced about the harvest, bringing good luck for the mortals and their crops. My mother and I drank nectar while we observed it from a distance. It was over soon enough.  
My mother had been eyeing me the entire ritual, making me uneasy. She only commented on the peplos. When it was over, she led me away to the private room in her temple.  
“Mother, you’re worrying me. Please tell me what’s going on.”  
“I’ve heard things from Olympus.” She murmured while she poured more nectar into our goblets.  
“What things?”  
Her eyes swept my figure. “Your lack of decency.”  
“Decency?” I knew what she meant and laughed harshly. “Nudity is not uncommon there. You know as well as I that it means nothing to them. We think nothing of it.”  
“It means more when you’re encouraging your father to…” She shivered and busied herself with her drink.  
“What do you mean encouraging?”  
“He wants everyone, Persephone, and he takes what he wants! Not even you are safe!” Her voice shook as it raised. “I never wanted this for you.”  
“You never wanted anything for me. You made that perfectly clear when you left me to be raised by those… those…” I couldn’t even finish. She knew the Olympians were vile gods.  
She moved to her balcony to look out into the night. “I called you here sooner so you would be away from him. I am hoping he will forget about his lust for you while you are gone.”  
“He told me to tell you that he misses you. He never forgets.” I spat out the disgust that not even nectar could cover.  
“Stay with me in Eleusis. You should be safe here.”  
“Should be? He could come here any time he wanted!”  
“He doesn’t.”  
“Because Hera would very well kill him if he tried anything with you again.”  
She sighed as she turned to look at me again. “I know your feelings for me and I know you do not enjoy this place. I was absent and don’t even deserve you calling me your mother, regardless of if you say it from spite or not.” She paused so I could let her words sink in. “But Persephone, daughter, I know what he is capable of and I wish to spare you from it, so please, stay here. Nothing is worse than his violation.”  
“I will not be safe here, not permanently.” My mind went to thoughts of the Underworld. Could I really be safe there, like the goddess said I would? The option was starting to look more and more appealing.  
“For now, you will. We will figure out another arrangement later.”  
“Being turned into a tree or a constellation is out of the question. I would like to remain sentient.”  
“Of course. It’s getting late, Persephone. We have an early morning tomorrow.”  
She was dismissing me, but this was probably the most we’ve ever spoken to each other at one time. I left and found the room that had been arranged for my stay. After I prepared myself for bed and laid down, sleep did not come easy.  
He really was after me.  
The thought made me want to vomit all the nectar I had been drinking.  
I palmed the obol, flipping it between my fingers as I thought of the realm of the dead and the possibility of it. If Zeus was too afraid to enter the Underworld, I would be safe for as long as I remained there. I knew my mother knew that Zeus would come for me if I stayed in Eleusis, regardless of whether or not it was her Earthly domain. I thought about leaving right then, under the cover of night, but something made me stay. I didn’t know if it was my mother’s first shred of caring for me, or cowardice.  
My thoughts eventually turned to the dark goddess and I remembered how the moonlight looked in the folds of her shroud, how the pale skin of her feet flashed against the indigo water, how her hand lingered on mine before it took the narcissus, how I could see her concern for me even under the shroud, and how she would risk everything to give me refuge against the king of the gods.  
Oh, how the memories of the stranger haunted me, awake and dreaming!  
I cursed myself for never directly asking for her name, but I had been so absorbed in her words and wisdom, the cool sound of her voice as she obliged the details I had so eagerly asked for.  
Who is she? Why does she care about my well-being?  
I had to know. I had to know.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zeus confronts Persephone in Eleusis and she begins her descent to the Underworld.

The next few days passed without incident. Thoughts of the Underworld slipped from my mind because of all the physical labor I was doing. Disguised as mundane humans, my mother and I always helped with the mortals’ harvest of grain and other crops. It was hard work and not necessarily rewarding to me, but it was my mother’s duties and I was required to help her.  
The flowers that grew wherever my feet touched the earth did not help with my disguise, but I still went to the festivals and drank wine and danced with the mortals and the nymphs. The anonymity of it was nice and it was surprisingly fun. It would be far into the night when I finally stumbled into my mother’s temple for much needed rest, and I would wake with the sun to begin my work again the next day.  
My worries about Zeus eased with the passing of time and the distraction of hard labor. I started to imagine myself living here in Eleusis while the seasons passed, with the nymphs and my mother. The nymphs loved me, and maybe my mother could learn as well. Maybe I could learn to forgive her.  
I still dreamed of the chthonic goddess, whoever she was, every night. Recurring dreams were not to be taken lightly, especially not for the gods. Wanting to know who she was and why she haunted my dreams was becoming a secret obsession, a festering wound that I could do nothing about. Our meeting had been in secret, as was our conversation, and I could not risk asking without people wanting to know more.  
Maybe if I decided to live here, I could visit the Underworld at least once to finally get my answers.  
During the day she was forgotten, but I always woke breathless, still feeling her hand on mine. The obol, lost in my sheets after I fell asleep with it in my hand, was found and shoved under my pillow to be hidden. A mortal coin was surely something that would cause questions should a nymph or my mother ever find it.  
The nymphs in Eleusis were a refreshing change of company compared to the gods. They were not immortal, but they were ageless, and I think having a little fear of death was good for the soul. The gods, myself included, tended to take life for granted because we knew it was forever.  
I knew Kalligeneia was older than me, and she had been the nymph to comfort Demeter after she left Olympus. Kalligeneia was a kind soul, but mostly all nymphs were. They were some form of nature in one way or another, respectful, and their love ran deep. They knew much more of this world than I did so I spent most of my time with them, listening, learning all that I could.  
However pure their souls were, they were prone to fleshly desires. They seemed to take new lovers every other day, and I would be forced to listen to their exploits long into the night. It reminded me of Olympus all too well. I often had the misfortune of finding nymphs and their lovers during the day, collapsed in naked piles in the fields, sleeping, or some of them still having sex.  
I had been working in the corner of a field by myself when I heard the familiar moans of pleasure. I waited a few minutes, hoping the act would soon be over, but I had no such luck. Eventually, I decided to approach and tell them to move to a more private area. I found them partially hidden by rows of barley.  
“Um, excuse me. Please take it somewhere else, will you? I’m working and others will be arriving shortly.”  
The nymph giggled but when her eyes landed on me, she gasped. “Oh, Neotera! I’m so sorry!”  
The man on top of her, on the other hand, turned slowly, deliberately, but I already knew. He was well disguised, but my eyes had been trained to see the luminescent glow of immortality under his skin.  
“Whoever you are, leave. You have no business here. This is my mother’s domain.”  
He rose slowly, his disguise flickering as he grinned. “Daughter.”  
I took a small step back. “I’m surprised you’re not in some animal form.”  
“Would you prefer it if I was? I’ve been told I make a beautiful bull, an elegant eagle…”  
I ignored him. “Even you have no business here, Father.”  
“Oh? And if I told you I did?” He took a step towards me.  
I took another step back. “I know you have no business here.”  
“I think I do, dearest Persephone.” He reached for my arm.  
I watched in horror as his filthy hands, the ones that had held so many women as he raped them, approached me, but I jerked away from him at the last second. “Don’t touch me.” I was only armed with a scythe and I certainly hadn’t trained with it, but it would have to do. I readied it in my hands. “Leave this place.”  
He watched me warily, uncertain if I would cut off an important extremity or two, but he backed off. He had watched me train with Athena and Artemis. He knew I would defend myself. “You’re going to regret this, daughter.”  
“We’ll see.”  
Storm clouds gathered above us and a bolt of lightning struck the earth where he was standing. When the smoke cleared, he was gone and the barley in the surrounding vicinity was ruined. The nymph threw herself at my feet.  
“Oh, Goddess! I didn’t know it was him. I’m so sorry! Please forgive me!”  
“If you truly didn’t know, then it’s not your fault. He is a master of disguises when it comes to wooing nymphs and mortals.” I spat into the charred dirt bitterly.  
“Demeter told us if we saw him, to tell her, that he was coming for you… I didn’t know it was him. I swear. Your safety is at risk because of me!”  
“I need to go speak with my mother about this immediately. Please have the others salvage what’s left of the crop here, before the fire spreads. Of course, he just had to destroy something if he wasn’t going to get his way.” I was being sarcastic, but really I was deeply shaken. He could have taken me right then and there and a scythe wasn’t going to stop him. I ran through the fields to find my mother, stopping to ask a few nymphs where she was. I eventually found her and she quickly stopped what she was doing when she saw me.  
“Daughter, what’s wrong?”  
“He…” My voice cracked. I was on the verge of shaking, and tears were threatening to spill over. “He was here.”  
She set down her scythe and called out to the others across the field. “I’m finished for the day. You keep working.” She turned back to me, her dark eyes soft. “Come with me to the temple.”  
I dropped the scythe I was still holding. My hands started to shake without something weighing them down. The warrior in me yearned for a sword to replace the scythe, but I clasped them behind my back and dutifully walked behind my mother.  
When we reached her temple, she held out her hand to me as we shed our mortal disguises, a soft gesture that I had never received from her before. I took it slowly, unsure, a mess of confusion. and conflicted emotions. She pulled me in for a tight hug. “Daughter, I’m truly sorry for this, for everything. The last thing I would want for anyone, especially my daughter, is his filthy hands on your body. I’m so sorry.”  
The tears spilled over as I buried my face in her chiton. “I’m not safe here. I threatened him, Mother. He is not happy with me. I fear…”  
“This is terrible. I wish I had gained some wisdom about this from my time down here but I haven’t. I just want to protect you.”  
I pulled away and sniffled. “If there was a way I could protect myself from him, would you support me?”  
“Of course.”  
“No matter what?”  
“Yes, but I hope you are not talking about transforming yourself into a flower or a tree. You know I love them all, but they would be a poor comparison to you.”  
“It’s something else, don’t worry.” I squared my shoulders as an example of courage.  
“Persephone, I hate to tell you this now, but I have only recently heard of such things. I know why your father is coming after you so relentlessly so suddenly.”  
I stilled and my voice turned cold. “What do you mean, Mother? What haven’t you told me?”  
“Like I said, I didn’t know before. I may be less than your parent, but I wouldn’t lie to you, especially not given the circumstances.” She paused before continuing. “After I had left Olympus, you were promised to someone.”  
“What?” I was dumbfounded.  
“As a wife. There was a marriage agreement that your father had made when you were an infant, and I guess he didn’t tell you about it, either.”  
“No, he didn’t. No one spoke of such things to me.”  
“Well, whoever it was met with your father and came to collect.” She shuddered at her use of words, but male gods were all the same. I knew what she meant. “And your father wants to have you before you’re wedded.”  
This new information, all the things that were happening so suddenly, overwhelmed me. I wanted to scream, but I had always been good at hiding how I felt. My mother was only rewarded with a cool exterior. “Do you think I could be alone for a bit? Do I have time?”  
“I think you have time before he returns, yes.”  
“I want to be gone before he does. I don’t want him to destroy your home because of me. He scorched some of the field after he… I’m sorry.”  
“No, no… It’s okay. Be alone if you need to be.”  
I returned to my room and sat on the edge of my bed, slipping my hand under my pillow to retrieve the obol, flipping it between my fingers while I contemplated. It was my only hope, wasn’t it?  
I wanted to pray, but who did gods pray to? Other gods, I suppose.  
“Oh, Athena, my friend, my guardian…” I started wistfully, envisioning her at the gates of Olympus where I left her. I think she would laugh if she could be me. “I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know if you’ll hear me, but he…” My voice broke and I inhaled to level myself. “Zeus is coming for me. I have to run. Though I know it’s the cowardly thing to do, it’s the only thing I can do, and even then, I need the courage to run. Do I need to ask you for courage? I don’t know how this works. Please, protect my mother and Eleusis, if you can spare yourself from your wars. I fear for her safety if I leave. You know as well as I that Zeus is never happy when he can’t get what he wants. If you hear this, tell Hermes I said thank you.”  
I will, Persephone. Good luck in your coming battles.  
I was stunned when I heard her reply somewhere in my mind. “Thank you, my friend.”  
I began to rather my few belongings, only clothes and the jewelry my mother had given me with the peplos, and made sure I had the obol. I left without saying goodbye to any of the nymphs or my mother. They couldn’t know where I was going. I racked my brain for Hermes’ instructions: east from Eleusis, dark grove, cave by Oceanus.  
I started the journey with the sun to my back, traversing fields and hills. Flowers sprung up from the earth with my every step; flowers of anger, like crimson petunias, flowers of grief, like yellow marigolds, flowers of sorrow, like purple hyacinths, and flowers of courage, like garlic. Eleusis and its bountiful fields were left behind with the sun, and the terrain changed from meadows to rocky hills and twisting paths. I started to regret my choice of sandals, as they were not fit for this type of activity. They slipped on inclines, and I tripped many times trying to climb. Eventually, the mountainous hills gave way to a deep, dark ravine that was shielded from the sun by the foothills.  
As I descended into the ravine, my breath hitched. The forest in the ravine felt dark, untouched, and wild, like some living beast. I knew immediately that this was not a place where the flora would bend to my will, at least not without difficulty. I was nervous about walking through a place so untamed, but I had to. I knew what was behind me and that was worse than anything this grove could do to me. I just needed to keep walking.  
Vines slithered over my feet and twisted up my ankles like snakes, attempting to trip me. Thorns embedded themselves in my shins and my arms as I struggled to push through the underbrush. My hair was quickly filled with burs and other bits of plant matter, and I knew that I must have looked feral. After the snake-like vines tripped me for the fifth time, I wanted to lay down on the ground and cry. Even the earth did not want me to escape from my father.  
“Enough!” I yelled to the forest. “I am not your enemy. I am not some mortal come to conquer and destroy. I am a goddess of flowers and vegetation and if this forest will not bend to me, then I might as well not be the goddess of anything!”  
The forest visibly shivered, the leaves shaking in a sudden breeze that I couldn’t feel, and stilled. The canopy seemed to thin and let dappled sunlight through to the forest floor, and the air no longer felt as thick and stifling.  
Someone jumped out at me and I shrieked, falling backwards in my terror. Whoever it was, a man, laughed while I regained my composure and felt my heart restart in my chest, thundering loudly.  
“It is not wise to frighten a goddess,” I spat without looking at him while I gathered the things that I had dropped, finding the obol in the dirt.  
“And what is a goddess going to do to a fellow god?” He laughed again and I looked up quickly. Sure enough, he had the glow of immortality, though he appeared to be a satyr.  
“Who are you?”  
“Who are you?” He asked, more pointedly. “After all, you did invade my home.”  
“Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter.”  
“Two of the big six, huh? You must be important.” He rolled his eyes. “You’re far from your mother’s domain, and even farther from your father’s.”  
“That’s the point. I was told that to get to Oceanus, I had to go through here.”  
“That is correct. By the way, I’m Pan, god of the wild.”  
That explained many things, including why he lived here and why he looked like a satyr. “Why did you practically try to kill me?”  
“Thought you were a mortal. Only they are stupid enough to go into a god’s territory without permission.”  
“I didn’t know it was your home.”  
“Then who told you about it?”  
The realization dawned. “Hermes, I am literally going to kill you if I ever return to Olympus.”  
Pan laughed, throwing his head back. “Hermes is a bastard, isn’t he? Always playing tricks on people. If you wish to go to Oceanus, let me clear a path for you.” He waved his hand, the forest shuddered, and a clear path emerged.  
I was cautious. “Any catch?”  
“None, truly. I encourage the gods to try new things and get out every once in awhile. Plus, entering my grove alone is no easy feat. You must be quite determined, kin.”  
Determined to run for my dignity and quite possibly my life? Yes. “You could say that.”  
“I go to Oceanus every once in awhile. The river that encircles the world…” He trailed off wistfully, thinking as he led me to the path. “It makes me feel small. We do not often feel small, when our life is endless and our powers vast.”  
“I suppose that’s true, but I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been there myself.”  
“You will be soon.”  
“How soon? Hermes said it would only take a few hours and it has felt like a few days.”  
“You’re almost there. A few more minutes.”  
“Really?” My prospects had increased.  
“Indeed.”  
“Well, thank you, Pan, for not killing me, giving me some words of wisdom, and showing me the way.” I paused, shifting my weight between my feet while I debated with myself. “If anyone comes looking for me, please tell them you haven’t seen me. Depending on who it is, it could be dangerous for them, or for me.”  
“How intriguing!” Pan sounded delighted as he clapped his hands together and jumped with his goat legs. “Your secret is safe with me.”  
I made my way down the trail at a fast pace because I was anxious to be in the sun again. Animals had congregated alongside the path and watched me from the underbrush with black, cautious eyes. I finally burst out of the grove, and was immediately hit with the smell of salt water. My shadow flipped directions because the sun was suddenly rising in the east now.  
I didn’t question how this worked. I knew there were many places in the world that served as bridges to other areas. Pan’s grove linked Eleusis to Oceanus, and this part of Oceanus must have been on the other side of the world.  
I kept walking, the ground giving way to black sand dunes that were littered with bits of seaweed, sticks, and shells. When I reached the top of the last dune, I was so stunned that I nearly fell back down it.  
Oceanus lay before me, a vast expanse that stretched farther than my eyes could see. It was turbulent and dark, like the sea during a storm, but the sky was clear. Even from this distance I could feel the salt spray on my face and the force of the waves as they mercilessly pounded the shore. I was slack-jawed with the sheer size of Oceanus and the idea of all its secrets hidden below its depths. The coastline didn’t seem to end, but it certainly changed its landscape. To the south, I saw what looked to be trees, and the north turned rocky, stone formations towering into the sea.  
What I didn’t see was a cave.  
I sighed as I cautiously slipped down the dune to be closer to Oceanus, but I didn’t find a cave on the shore either. I had two directions to choose from and decided on north, hoping the cave would be somewhere in the rock formations, and trudged onward. My sandals slapped against the damp sand but didn’t leave any imprints, even though my feet fell heavily. I was tired, exhaustion blowing fire in my muscles to the point of my soles blistering. My shins and arms were still bleeding ichor, the golden blood of the gods, and I felt as if I had been walking for weeks. I wanted to lay down on the beach and have the water pull me under, but I wasn’t safe even here.  
“I have to find the cave.”  
As the sun began to sear my neck, the rock formations neared until they towered over my head, and I started looking for any spot a cave might be in. I had not often been in caves. There were none in Olympus and crops did not grow in them so my mother had no business taking me. I eventually found it, partially submerged in Oceanus. The hem of my chiton just barely touched the water as I waded through the sea to get to the cave. The rock shielded the inlet from the brutal waves as I held my bag over my head and stepped into the cave.  
I had once heard conflicting stories about how the Underworld was located beneath the earth, while other reports said it was located beneath Oceanus. That both were correct was fitting, in a way.  
At first, the cave was set on an incline, a way to stop water from pouring into its depths, but it soon turned into a steep decline. My slick sandals slipped over the damp rocks, and I was forced to cling to the sides of the cave walls, grabbing onto whatever slimy thing I could find so I wouldn’t fall. The light of day faded away and I was left in complete darkness with only my immortality illuminating the way. The thick air was dank with mold and other unsavory scents.  
When would I need to use the obol?  
Several times I contemplated letting go and letting myself tumble down the rest of the cave, risking broken bones, but I decided against it. Blisters and exhausted muscles were far better than trying to recover from a broken neck. My arms and legs shook from the effort of holding my body weight and keeping myself tensed for so long. My fingers slipped off the walls many times and I started having to take break when I could find myself a good place to stand for awhile. I flexed my hands, which threatened to stay in fists forever, and my arms. Exhaustion and the earth weighed heavily on my shoulders, pressing me down, trying to intimidate me into giving in and crumbling.  
I think I started crying at one point. Having to do all this just to keep myself safe from my father and his endless reach seemed so cruel and unfair. I thought I was going to be trapped in this cave forever, tired and beaten, until my father came to find me and take me back to Olympus and his bed.  
The thought of me being a broken, docile woman filled me with so much loathing that I was able to find the energy to continue, Just when I started moving again, I saw a faint glow towards the bottom of the cave. I commanded my body to obey me, to move faster, to push on, and finally, with sweet relief, came to the end of the cave, and a massive door lit by a torch.  
I nearly cried in joy as I collapsed to catch my breath, studying the door while I regained my composure. It was made of dark stone, polished, and engraved with gems and pictures that told stories. Rivers depicted with different colored stones, red and orange, blue, milky white, and black slithered across skulls carved from the door itself. My body threatened to pull me to sleep, but my heart thundered in my chest, excited.  
I was so close.  
I forced my weak body to stand and push the door open, which required all the force I could muster. A blast of cool, clear air hit me in the face and I sucked it in greedily as it refreshed me. The door led to a smooth stone hallway, lit by flickering torches, and I followed it like an innocent child because I knew it would lead me to my freedom and my protection.  
The hallway fell away to a dark world, unending fields of gray dirt, twisting rivers, and horizons that hinted at light and color. I stood on the shore of a black river, with no way to cross in sight. I sat and fished the obol out of my bag, letting the cool silver sit in my scratched palm.  
“What is this for?” I murmured to myself. I noticed that from the ground around me, strange plants started to burst from what I had presumed to be lifeless dirt. The strange mushrooms and alien-like blooms glowed a bright pink and green, surrounding me like a fairy ring. I had never seen plants like these before, and it was just another thing to add to the list of things that shocked me today.  
“You’re ruining the decor,” A man whispered.  
I shrieked, looking for the source, and found a man standing on a small raft that bobbed on the river, leaning against his oar. He was shrouded in black, but I could tell he was incredibly tall and impossibly thin. “I can’t help it. Plants just grow around me.”  
“You aren’t dead, so why are you here, girl?”  
“I was invited.”  
He paused, probably to take in my wild appearance, and he chuckled. “Is that so?”  
“Yes! I am not some mortal soul. Do you not see the ichor flowing through my veins? I am a goddess.”  
He leaned closer. “It appears so, but Olympians do not visit often. You are an Olympian, are you not? Though, I suppose you could be one of those watered-down, barely-god, offsprings that occur when gods and nymphs procreate. You certainly look like a wild thing.”  
I gritted my teeth before continuing. “I’m an Olympian and the journey here was not easy.”  
“I suppose it isn’t for the immortal. All the mortals have to do is die and that seems to be quite easy for them.” He paused, thinking. “Well, even if you weren’t really invited, that isn’t my problem. They can deal with you at the palace so long as you have my payment.”  
“Payment for what?”  
“Payment for me ferrying you across. If you don’t have payment, I’m not taking you across, no matter how you throw yourself at me. I don’t accept sexual favors.”  
I held the obol out to him cautiously. “Will this do?”  
“It will.” He snatched it from my hand with cool, quick fingers and hid it in a pocket in his robes. “Step quickly now. We don’t have all eternity.”  
I cautiously stepped onto his boat and clutched my things tightly as the boat rocked precariously when he pushed off the shore with his oar. “Are you Charon?”  
“I’m surprised you know my name.”  
“I was told about this place when I was invited.” I emphasized the last part to stubbornly get my point across.  
“So it seems. What’s your name?”  
“Persephone.”  
“Hmm, I’ve never heard of you.”  
I pushed air out of my lungs because I was too tired to laugh. Even now, I was swaying on his boat and my eyes felt weighted. “That’s okay. It means I haven’t done anything too terrible.”  
“Or too great.”  
“Maybe after this is all over, I’ll be remembered for that. Maybe there will be stories about my bravery.”  
“You’re not here to get back some dead lover, are you? Because that has certainly been done before. What was that fellow’s name? Orpheus? It was really a shame. He had literally been on the brink of victory and failed.”  
“I’m not here for a dead lover, no,” I giggled. “What happens when we get to the other side of the river?”  
“We both go our merry ways. I continue to ferry souls and you go to the palace, oh exalted guest.”  
“You’re quite sarcastic, aren’t you?” I grinned. “It doesn’t matter whether you believe me or not. I’m aware I look like a feral woman. I had to traverse foothills and evil forests and endless beaches, and a rock climb into deep caves to get here.”  
“We can agree on that, at least.” He laughed again, a friendly sound, despite how intimidating he had been when I first saw him. “Sounds like quite the rough journey. You certainly look like it was.”  
“Where’s the palace?”  
“Oh, you’ll see it.”  
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t mean to seem cross with you, but someone told me the same thing about my journey here and it feels like I haven’t slept for a year because of it.”  
“This river likes to warp distances in the Underworld. We are actually much closer to the other areas than how it seemed on the shore by the entrance. When we get to the other shore, you will see the palace. It will be right there. It’s a massive thing. Hades likes to build additions to it every so often, and Hades has been here for a very long time.”  
“Interesting. As long as there is a spare bed for me, I’ll be happy.” I fiddled with the tie on my bag from anxiety, but made myself quit. I had just journeyed all this distance and I was going to let myself be nervous about the Lord of the Underworld? Not a chance.  
I zoned out as I listened to the steady sound of the waves and Charon’s oar slapping the water, the rocking of the boat lulling me into relaxation. I think I started to fall asleep standing up, even though my muscles were screaming and the blisters on my feet oozed ichor onto Charon’s boat.  
Next thing I knew, I was falling, stunned awake by the sensation of losing my balance, but I was grabbed by the arm and steadied.  
“It’s best to not let the water touch you. You falling in face first would not have been a good thing. Me catching you was because I want to see how this turns out, not because I’m a nice man, you understand?”  
I fought not to grin. “Perfectly.”  
“Besides, we’re here. Don’t pull an ‘Orpheus.’”  
I looked behind me and saw he was right. The boat was pushed up on the shore and on the shore was a massive pair of black gates that stood open, still and waiting. The path that went through the gates winded up a hill to stop at a massive palace. It was easily bigger than any of the temples in Olympus, even Zeus’, probably bigger than all of the temples in Olympus combined, and made of dark, polished stone. The structure was asymmetrical, with perfectly rounded turrets and towers that jutted up here and there, covered walkways and bridges that led over or under waterfalls that had been incorporated into the design, and torches threw shadows across the columns and the light set the stone ablaze, the stone no longer black, but filled with shimmering purples and blues like stars. Despite its grandiosity, it had a very whimsical look about it. I could see that the additions had been impromptu but carefully considered.  
“It’s beautiful!”  
“Yeah, yeah, I hear it all the time. I have a job to do so if you don’t mind stepping off my boat like so… Yes, that’s it. I have souls to ferry!”  
Grounded on the shore, I waved goodbye and to my surprise, Charon waved back.  
“Just so you know, that obol only covered a one way journey. They can toss you into the Styx for all I care.”  
“That’s fine. I shouldn’t be returning, anyways. Thank you, Charon.”  
“You’re welcome, feral woman.” His laughter faded away as he paddled back through the Styx, and his figure disappeared into the fog.  
I ran up the path to the castle, torches lighting the entire way to the front doors.  
Safety. Safety. Safety.  
I pounded my bloodied fist on the door, every touch of my knuckles against the stone hurting. “Hello, is anyone in there? Please let me in!”  
The door creaked open and light spilled out of the palace, blinding me. “What’s this? Who are you?”  
I immediately stepped inside, breathless, feeling like death itself. “I was invited,” I said firmly and collapsed on the floor, everything turning black.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persephone's introduction to Hades and the Underworld.

“Well, what are we supposed to do with her?”  
“I don’t know! That’s what I called you here for, Aeacus! You’re one of the judges!”  
“For mortal souls, you absolute idiot! She isn’t dead!”  
“Oh, dear, I hadn’t noticed that…”  
“We’re here! Now, what is all this commotion we’ve been hearing about?”  
“This isn’t some spectacle! You aren’t all supposed to be here. Don’t you have better things to do?”  
“A live woman banging on the doors of Hades’ palace and begging to be let in is not a normal occurrence. As if my brother and I would miss this for the world!”  
“She isn’t just a live woman! She’s a goddess! Look, she’s dripping ichor all over the floor.”  
“And what were those things out front? Were those plants? How did they get here?”  
“Her doing, I think. She must be one of those mixed-with-nymph goddesses.”  
“She looks familiar, somehow.”  
“Hecate, when did you get here? Is she one of your lampads?”  
“No, of course not. Why are you all gawking over this poor woman? She’s clearly injured and you just left her on the floor?”  
Someone scoffed. “You came here without being summoned, too.”  
I groaned in pain and heard everyone pause. I was still on the floor, the cold stone pressed against my cheek. I must not have been unconscious for very long because my body still ached, and somehow even worse than before. I felt as if I couldn’t move.  
“Uh, girl, are you conscious?”  
“Mhmmm,” I mumbled as I opened my eyes and tried to ease myself to sitting position. People had crowded around me, three luminescent immortals, but two were somewhat transparent wraiths.  
“What are you doing here?”  
“Who are you?”  
“Are you actually a goddess?”  
A woman offered me a hand, which I took as I struggled to stand. My vision waved and I felt my body go with it. “Someone, get her some water and then she can answer your questions. Here, sit down.” She pushed me into a plush chair that had not been behind me a moment ago.  
One of the wraiths hurried off into the castle to follow her command.  
I sagged in the chair, aching and exhausted, while everyone watched me.  
“You look terrible, child. What happened to you?”  
“The journey here was long and rough. I’m afraid I didn’t wear proper footwear.” I cracked a smile as I looked at my feet, bruised and blisters still oozing ichor.  
“Where did you come from?”  
“Eleusis.”  
“That sounds familiar, but I’m not quite sure where… We don’t go to the mortal world very often, I’m afraid.”  
“It’s my mother’s domain.”  
“Demeter?”  
I nodded. The wraith returned with a goblet of water and I drank greedily. Gods and goddesses did not need sustenance to survive but my trek here was not the kind of physical activity my body was used to.  
“Can you answer our questions now?” One of the male gods asked and the one next to him, nearly identical save for their hair color, elbowed him. “What? We all want to know.”  
I chuckled. “Yes, I suppose if I were in your situation I would too.”  
The god with black hair smirked at his victory over the one with white hair. “What’s your name?”  
“Persephone.”  
“And your father is who?”  
“To disappoint you all, it’s not a nymph.” I almost grinned. “It’s worse.”  
The White Hair’s eyes lit up. “You’re just killing us with anticipation!”  
The female goddess, clothed in black like the rest of them, sighed beside me. “As you can tell, we don’t get very much excitement here.”  
“You’re a hypocrite, Hecate. You came here for the same reason we did.”  
“At least I had the decency to help her off the damn floor, Hypnos.”  
“My father is Zeus.” I interrupted them and received looks of mild sympathy and disgust. “He isn’t too popular here, I take it? At least I can finally speak freely.”  
“Indeed. Zeus is not our friend, to say the least.”  
“So you were an Olympian?” The spirit dressed in a fine chiton and himation asked me.  
I let my face show my disdain. “Not by choice.”  
“What brings you here?”  
“Yes, I certainly don’t get many goddesses begging to be let in here.” The servant spirit that answered the door finally spoke, unable to contain his curiosity.  
“Markos…” Hecate warned.  
“No, it’s okay.” I paused, chewing on my lip while I contemplated telling them the truth. “Are you sure I can speak plainly about Zeus here?”  
“Yes.”  
“He was planning on coming and taking me from Eleusis and you… you understand why I couldn’t let that happen, right?”  
Hecate touched my shoulder gently. “Oh, your poor girl. I understand why you were so desperate.”  
“Zeus is such a bastard.”  
“He’s sick in the head. Takes after his father, but honestly, it’s not very surprising. Did I not tell you I thought so when he was discovered to have not been eaten by Cronus?”  
“But why did you come here?”  
“I was told that it would be safe for me.”  
“By who?”  
“The same person who invited me to stay here.”  
“Who is…?” Hypnos implored me to finish.  
“I didn’t catch her name. She never told me.”  
Hypnos’ eyes slid over to Hecate suspiciously and she held her hand up to him. “Don’t look at me. I’ve never met Persephone before.”  
“Who do I have to ask to stay here? Hades?” I looked around and my eyes settled on the god with black hair. “Are you Hades?”  
There was silence from all of my audience before they burst out laughing, doubling over and wiping away tears, even the spirits.  
“I am definitely not Hades. My name is Thanatos.”  
“We are clearly twins, Persephone. Hades does not have a twin.” Hypnos wrapped his arm around Thanatos. “So, I take it you don’t know?”  
“Know what?”  
“Boys, be nice. Not everyone knows.”  
“I absolutely cannot wait until Hades returns.”  
“Yes, Hades will know what to do with her.”  
“Can I at least bathe before you all kick me out? I brought my own clothes.” I shook my bag and they laughed.  
“I’m sure that would be fine. Markos, get someone to draw a bath for her, would you? Any one of the guest rooms will do.” Hecate ordered him away.  
“I’m certainly staying here until Hades returns. I want to watch the story unfold.”  
“I’m with my brother on that one.”  
“And I have to stay because I’m the only one that cares enough to be decent to her.” Hecate rolled her eyes at the twins.  
“You gods and your lack of responsibility.” Aeacus spat. “I have to get back to Minos and Rhadamanthus because we have actual jobs to attend to.”  
“I don’t know about you, Aeacus, but I think this is the first break I’ve taken in, say, five hundred years, give or take. Were you even a twinkle in your mother’s eye back then?”  
Aeacus shook his himation in annoyance. “This is not my problem and I have no business being here. I don’t know how many meetings Minos and Rhadamanthus have disagreed upon since my absence. Now, good day!” The spirit huffed with finality, letting the front door of the castle shut with a bang behind him.  
“I can’t believe Markos called Aeacus here. The theatrics on that one! You’d think he was touched by Dionysus!”  
We laughed at Thanatos’ joke as Markos returned. “This way, my lady,” he said tersely, clearly not wanting to address me with such formality. Hecate helped me stand and I tethered myself to her arm as we followed Markos, who paused to look back at us. “I said my lady, not all of you.”  
I waved him off. “I don’t mind them wanting to see if Hades kicks me out of the Underworld or not. They can come along, even the twins, if they can handle themselves and not look while I bathe.”  
They looked at each other and set their hands over their hearts. “We promise.”  
Markos and Hecate rolled their eyes but continued moving. We ascended the grand staircase, Hecate enlisting Hypnos to help carry me. I soon found out the palace was even more massive than it looked like on the outside, if that was even possible. It had to be at least the size of an entire polis. There were hundreds of rooms we passed, their purpose unknown. Who could need so many rooms? Apparently, not even Hades. Most of them were lit with torches and furnished but I knew no one had been in them in ages. We traversed bridges and waterfalls that I had seen from the outside and I was glad I had Hecate and Hypnos helping me walk because I surely would have collapsed again without them.  
“Here we are.” Markos stopped and opened a door, ushering us in.  
“You couldn’t have chosen a closer one, Markos?” Hecate huffed, her pale face flushed. I was finally coherent enough to study her. She, naturally, was beautiful. Her skin, like the other chthonic deities I had met, was like white marble. I supposed their skin was so pale because they didn’t get much sunlight. Her eyes were a crystalline blue, ice-like and clear, and her light blonde hair was gathered on her head with pins. She wore a black peplos and himation, embroidered with silver thread.  
“You told me to pick any of them. Now, I believe everything you may need should be in there. I have to prepare for Hades’ return.” Markos left with a bow.  
“I really need to have a talk with Hades about Markos. I’m not very fond of him. He seems a bit too hostile. If you ask me, he belongs back in Asphodel.”  
“It’s not really any of our business who Hades employs. We have our own homes,” Thanatos murmured as he followed Hypnos into the room. “But yes, he is a little hostile.”  
“This way, Persephone.” Hecate led me by the hand to the bathroom attached to the suite. A large basin carved from the same stone of the palace was filled with steaming water and lined with soaps. “Will you need help?”  
“I shouldn’t but…” I trailed off with a sigh as I tested the muscles in my arms. “I’m so sore that I might.”  
“Actually, I have just the thing for that. Get in and I will be back shortly.” Hecate sat me on the edge of the basin. “You two behave or I’ll turn you into some kind of animal, like Circe does.”  
“Doesn’t seem to hinder Zeus that much,” Hypnos retorted and Thanatos laughed, both still in the other room.  
“Undesirable animals,” Hecate corrected after she got over her revulsion, but left the bathroom. “It should only take a moment, Persephone!”  
I would have laughed at their exchange, but the threat of him was still hanging over my head and it prevented me from finding it very amusing. Instead, I slowly bent down to ease the sandals off my feet. The blisters were finally starting to heal but I still had to practically peel the shoes away from my soles.  
As I leaned against the basin for support, I realized I hadn’t heard Hecate’s footsteps cross the stone floor, so I knew she was still here. Straining my ears, I heard her whispering to the twins.  
“Don’t make fun like that about her own father. She clearly has no love for him, but he wants to rape her. She came all this way for protection and is terrified of him, like any woman should be. Be kind to her, even if she doesn’t stay. She is certainly not like the other Olympians. She is brave, at the very least.”  
“I didn’t think…”  
“Clearly!” She snapped. “My threat to you would be far worse if either of you touch her.”  
“Alright, woman! We get it. Persephone is off limits.”  
“Then we understand each other. I’ll be right back.”  
I didn’t like that Hecate felt she needed to be so careful with words around me, but at least she seemed kind. I removed my chiton, filthy and ripped beyond repair, and slowly eased myself into the steaming water. There was nothing else I could do, so I simply sat and let the water ease the tension in my muscles.  
One of the twins piped up from the bedroom, but their voices were so similar, it was hard for me to tell them apart.  
“So, child of Zeus and Demeter, yes?”  
“Correct,” I replied slowly.  
“What do you rule over?”  
“Generally just plants, vegetation, and plant growth.”  
“Take after your mother, I see.”  
“That isn’t very…”  
“Exciting?” I chuckled. “Tell me about it. Flowers grow wherever I touch the earth, even here, I suppose. What about you two?”  
“Nyx and Erebus.”  
“The Protogenoi? You must be old then.”  
“Old as life,” Hypnos replied.  
“Old as death,” Thanatos corrected him and then I heard him yelp, probably from Hypnos elbowing him because of his bad pun. Thanatos was the god of peaceful death and his brother was the god of sleep.  
The grime of Pan’s grove, the ocean, and the cave swirled in the water as I dunked my head under the surface, running my fingers through my knotted, greasy hair. When I surfaced to take a breath, Hecate was there to offer a small bottle.  
“That was quick. What is it?”  
“It’s a potion. It should help with the pain and make you heal faster.”  
“Do I drink all of it?” I uncorked it and sniffed it warily, surprised when it smelled floral and sweet.  
“Yeah, that would be best. It would work more quickly if you did.”  
I drank the liquid in one gulp and immediately felt the tension ease in my muscles and I was able to move freely again. The cuts on my palms and soles closed and left no scars. I sighed blissfully. “Thank you so much, Hecate.”  
“No problem at all. Now, I’ll leave you to it.”  
I went to work scrubbing the filth away from my body with a rough stone, the dirt turning the water brown and my skin turning a healthy pink. I washed my hair with floral soap and massaged my scalp until I felt myself slipping into a light sleep. I knew I had to speak to Hades and got out immediately, drying off and stepping into the peplos my mother had made for me. Since it was mostly black, I figured it would honor him in a way and make him more amenable to my request to stay. If he let me, I could search for the goddess who invited me here in the first place.  
I fished around in my bag for the matching fibulae and jewelry, pulling the peplos over my chest and clipping it one shoulder and a time. I wrapped my himation around me and slid the armbands up to my biceps. My hair was too damp to do anything other than twist it at the nape of my neck and pin it there, finding hairpins on the basin.  
“I’m nearly ready. I apologize that I’m taking so long!”  
“It’s completely fine, dear! You’ve had a very long day.”  
I smoothed my himation and stepped out of the bathroom. Thanatos and Hypnos were bickering and lounging across a few chairs but stopped to look at me and their jaws went slack. I blushed. “Am I not some wild half-nymph, now?”  
“I completely and fully apologize, Persephone.” Hypnos bowed his head.  
“We had no idea you were so ravishing!” Thanatos interjected, trying to beat Hypnos out of complimenting me.  
“Tell me, are you spoken for? Any consorts I should know of?” Hypnos raised an eyebrow as his eyes swept me.  
“You two had better only be thinking the purest of thoughts about our new guest.” Hecate rolled her eyes. “You do look lovely, dear. You must have had an extremely difficult journey to tarnish yourself so. I’m glad you’ve made a full recovery.”  
“Well, I’m still exhausted. I know I need more rest.”  
“I can certainly help with that.” Hypnos smiled and moved to pat the seat next to him.  
Before I could even react to his flirtations and tell him I had no interest in men, we heard voices coming from the hallway.  
“Markos, I don’t see what could be so important. This is the realm of the dead. There isn’t much urgency to be found.” A feminine voice, soft and tired.  
“Trust me. You’ll want to see this.”  
Markos pushed the door open and led the woman inside, dressed in a black peplos and wearing a himation as a veil. She sighed as she took off her himation, revealing her raven-like hair and moonstone skin. “What are all of you doing here? Don’t you have more important things to do other than pestering me?”  
Hecate nodded over to me and the goddess followed her eyes. She stopped short and quickly inhaled her gasp of surprise. As if watching a mirror, I was stunned into the same stillness as she had been.  
I recognized her voice. This was the goddess from Olympus, the one who offered me a safe haven, and she looked exactly, unexpectedly how I dreamt her. She had a narrow and long face, punctuated with large, dark eyes, a straight nose, and a wide mouth, that tapered off with a sharp chin. Her deep-set eyes were wide and her mouth parted slightly, as if working to speak.  
Markos interrupted the moment. “Before you say anything, my lord, I would like to ask you not to punish me because they made me take her in and bathe her without your word.”  
Hecate, Thanatos, and Hypnos all bowed their heads in respect. “Welcome home, Hades.”  
I looked at the three of them suspiciously. “If this is a joke, it’s not very nice.”  
“It isn’t. I am Hades,” The goddess sighed. “It’s something of a long-running jest that my brothers and sisters started. They think it’s amusing and it’s gone on too long to protest otherwise. The humans believing that I’m a man is no concern of mine.”  
“Why didn’t you tell me when you talked to me?” I cried, ashamed of my ignorance and altogether confused.  
“Wait, you two know each other?” Thanatos looked between us, bewildered.  
“I’m the one who invited her here. She may stay as long as she wants to, though I have to admit I’m astonished to see her here already.”  
“What does that mean? Was I not supposed to leave Eleusis?”  
“No, of course not. I know of your situation and as I said during our prior meeting, my realm is open to you always. I suppose I’m just surprised she made it here by herself. You did, didn’t you?”  
“Hermes gave me some pointers and an obol for Charon, but yes.”  
“I would expect nothing less from someone as determined as you were.” Hades quickly smiled at me before turning to the others. “All of you are like carrion birds. Go back to your duties. I will handle this from here.”  
Hecate and Thanatos mumbled complaints but Hypnos grinned. “Am I safe to assume we have a new guest?”  
“As I said…”  
I nodded and smiled. “For the foreseeable future.”  
“Welcome to our home then, Persephone. We hope you enjoy your stay.” Thanatos smiled and left with his brother and Hecate. Markos excused himself and shut the door behind him.  
“We have much to discuss, Persephone,” Hades sighed, running her hands through her hair as she sat on one of the lounges. “Will you sit? You must be exhausted. I promise I won’t keep you for long.”  
I obliged and sat beside her. “I wish you would have told me who you were when we spoke in Olympus. Markos and the twins wanted to kick me out because they thought I was some wild woman. I suppose I can’t blame them for the last bit, I looked atrocious.”  
“I’ll speak to them, then.”  
“But about not telling me your name?”  
“I suppose I… I don’t really know. I didn’t want to scare you.”  
“Scare me? I’m insulted that you think knowing your name would have spooked me!”  
The corner of her grave mouth raised slightly. “I know that now. You are far more courageous than I ever could have imagined. You coming to the realm of the dead by yourself… amazing,” she breathed, looking over me with admiration. “How did you do it?”  
I blushed under her gaze despite myself. “Like I said, Hermes told me how to get here from Eleusis and gave me the obol, but I never imagined it would be so difficult. I had to walk through mountains and into Pan’s grove. Of course, Hermes didn’t tell me it was Pan’s grove so I just walked in and the forest nearly killed me before Pan realized I was a goddess. The grove brought me to Oceanus, where Hermes said there would be a cave, but I had to walk for hours to find it and that cave, that damned cave…” I trailed off and stretched my hands, glad to be rid of the searing pain in them. “I had to practically climb down on the walls because it was so steep. My sandals are demolished. I… almost gave up. I was so exhausted and battered it was almost too much to bear, but I continued, got through the door, found Charon, gave him his obol, he dropped me off on the right shore, I ran to the palace, and as soon as Markos let me in… Well, I hate to use this word, but I fainted.”  
She offered me her hand and I took it, trying not to think about how the mere touch of her thumb had haunted me for days. “I’m so sorry, Persephone. I wish I had been there for you. I wish I could have taken you here myself, so you wouldn’t have had to go through that ordeal.”  
“It’s not your fault. When I went to Eleusis, my mother also warned me about my father and said I was free to stay with her. I haven’t forgiven her… Who knows why she thought it would be right to leave a newborn with the man who raped her and a family that doesn’t care that he did? I think, though, that I understand her situation a little better now. Staying with her, it was surprisingly alright. I started to think I would be safe there, but my father… Gods, I can’t even bear to call him that!” I growled in frustration and disgust.  
Her thumb stroked my skin lightly. I think it was meant to be a friendly and comforting gesture, but all it did was distract me. “You don’t have to, Persephone. You don’t have to do anything here.”  
“Zeus came for me and I resisted. He withdrew, unhappily, and it seemed like he would be back for me so I decided to flee. No one knows I’m here, save for Hermes and probably Athena.”  
“You did the right thing, Persephone, even if it was hard for you.”  
“Leaving was probably the easiest choice I’ve ever made, honestly. You know I have no fondness for most of the Olympians.”  
Hades’ smile reached her dark eyes. “That I do.”  
“I just can’t believe I was naive enough to think I would be safe in Eleusis! I thought, just maybe, Zeus would turn his attention elsewhere while I was gone but…” I bit my lip when I decided to hold back the information about my arranged marriage. Regardless of whoever it was with, it no longer mattered.  
“It’s not naivety. More like… wishful thinking.”  
I pulled my hand from hers. It was hard to be angry when every stroke of her thumb sent goosebumps across my skin. “Where were you today? I thought you hardly left the Underworld.”  
“I don’t usually, but I still had unfinished business in Olympus.”  
“Which was?”  
“Well,” She began, but paused as she briefly considered something. She leveled her gaze calmly on me and I got the impulse to push her hair over her shoulder but I held my hands in my lap. “I suppose it’s taken care of now.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“It doesn’t matter.” She paused, her eyes flashing. “Persephone, they know you’re gone. Zeus had went back to Eleusis for you and when he found out you had fled, let’s just say, the mortal world has suffered for it.”  
“The mortal world is no concern of mine.”  
“Careful, you’re starting to sound like our family.” I bristled for a moment before I saw the amusement shining in her dark eyes.  
“I’m not going to subject myself to my father to save a few fields.”  
“As you shouldn’t,” she nodded. “He’s ordered the Olympians to look for you. They’re scouring the earth, searching for you as we speak.”  
“Let them. They won’t find me.”  
“No, they won’t,” Hades smirked as she leaned back in the lounge and fingered the fabric of her peplos while she thought. “But I have to say I am quite shocked how sudden this happened. Although I’m incredibly glad you made it here safely and hope your time spent here isn’t too dreadful, it will take quite some adjustment. The gravity of this situation is… delicate.”  
“I suppose it will only be a matter of time until they figure it out. Hermes knows that I’m here, but once the trick falls flat, he will surely tell our father, as he always does.”  
“That shouldn’t be something you need to worry about.”  
“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow. “The King of the Gods isn’t something to fret over?”  
“Your father has no power here. Just as he rules the sky and its gods, I rule this realm and all its inhabitants, souls and deities alike. I believe you have already made friends here, too. Friends are a good thing to acquire in times of turmoil.” Hades smiled as she stood gracefully, smoothing her black pelos and folding her himation over her left arm. “Now, I’m sure I’ve kept you long enough. You must be deliriously tired and you need your rest. If you would follow me, I’ll take you to a better room. I can tell Markos chose this one out of spite.”  
I took the hand she had offered to me and stood with her. “Let me grab my things from the bathroom.”  
“Not necessary. I’ll have Markos fetch them. He is quite insolent at times. I regret drawing up a contract with him.” She sighed as she led me down the hallway, flames from the torches making our shadows stretch behind us.  
“I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean.”  
“Oh, of course you don’t. Forgive me.” She offered me an apologetic and slightly embarrassed smile. “I’m just not used to having guests. Hecate and the rest of them have been here with me so long, they know the place as well as I do. As you can probably tell, this palace is massive, which is entirely my fault, but that is besides the point. I have other duties to attend to, as well as the other deities, and can’t manage the upkeep of this place by myself, so I offer jobs to the better souls in Asphodel. If you remember, that is where ordinary souls who haven’t achieved any real sort of greatness but haven’t committed any terrible sins are sent. If they are employed by me, I let them visit loved ones once a year in Elysium. The contract itself lasts for a hundred years and when it expires, if they have served me well, I let them spend the rest of their afterlife in Elysium.”  
“That is… very kind of you.” Giving souls another chance to prove themselves to be with their family when they were supposed to spend their afterlife somewhere else was extremely considerate. It shocked me because most gods only did things that were to their own benefit. Hades could enslave them, as they had no choice and nowhere else to go. She could lie and never let them see their loved ones, but she didn’t. I watched her carefully, trying my best to hide any looks of awe, while considering her.  
Color accumulated across her sharp cheekbones, a pale pink to match her lips. “I like to think I am very benevolent. Even when they’re in my service, I treat them fairly. I have no time for cruelty and games like the gods above, and making enemies in the realm of the eternal is unwise. I can’t banish or kill them, after all,” she quipped.  
I laughed at her joke because that was more fitting than to continue staring at her with admiration. Her eyes had turned forward as she continued to lead me through the maze of passageways in her palace, her quiet footfalls confident and reassured. Her hand in mine was not shaking, nor possessive, but the memory of the narcissus surfaced. How many times did I dream of putting her fingers to my lips?  
I swallowed as I made a conscious effort to push the invasive thoughts away. “How do you know your way around here so well?”  
She raised her eyebrow, amused at my question. “I’ve been here a very, very long time, Persephone. Even if I hadn’t built the palace myself, I would have memorized every nook and cranny in this place.  
“You built it yourself?”  
“Every room and hallway, so I know where everything is. Adding new wings and towers is just something to do to pass the time… since I’m bound here.”  
“Bound?”  
She nodded slowly, her mouth drawing into a line, and I could sense her apprehension and melancholy. “It’s something they made me do when I was rewarded this realm after the Titanomachy. When you eat or drink anything from the Underworld, you become bound to this place forever. I can leave every so often but I always have to return. I used to try to resist it, when I first came here, and it would hurt. It felt like I was dying, or however close to feeling like death an immortal can get, and if I stuck around long enough, Erebus would come and take me back.”  
I gasped softly. “Why would you do such a thing to yourself?”  
“I was young, back then, proud and defiant. I had just won a war, after all, and I thought this place was a more a curse than a gift. It was meant to be a curse, you know. Time has changed my way of thinking. The Underworld was a blessing, but I didn’t know that at the time. Our family was much smaller and closer then… not prone to their questionable actions as they are now.”  
“Markos gave me water when I first came to… Did that…” I started the question but Hades understood immediately.  
“I doubt it. Markos wanted you out. He wouldn’t have bound you here purposely. We have water and food brought from the mortal realm here.”  
“Well, can I bind myself here?”  
Hades stopped in front of me and turned. “You’re surely joking.”  
I felt my body tuck in on itself defensively. “I’m not.”  
She chuckled nervously, unsure if I was still kidding. “You cannot bind yourself here. That is forever, unbreakable. You are free to stay here as long as you want, but don’t you want to eventually go home?”  
“I can’t go home. That’s why I’m here, Hades.”  
“Your father…” Hades sighed heavily and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “He will eventually lose interest. It may take a year or it may take a hundred years, knowing how men covet women they can’t have even more, but eventually he will cease his efforts. Maybe Hera will win him back, who knows? You would want to go home after that, wouldn’t you?”  
“You know that I hated Olympus and the mortal world isn’t much better.”  
“For you, it must be.”  
“Why would you say that?”  
“I have seen your gifts. You are of the earth. Is it not your home?”  
“I care nothing for my gifts. What about the rest of you?”  
Hades turned her eyes upward and muttered, “I hope Gaia didn’t hear that.” Her eyes slid back to me. “We are various aspects of death, darkness, sleep, and misery. They come here because it is their home. It may have not been my home at first, but fate said it should be so, and it was.”  
I grumbled a weak disagreement.  
“Persephone, I hate to say this and can hardly believe that I even have to, but I forbid you from binding yourself here. It’s a rash decision that you need years to think over. Once you have been here for many years, I will consider it.”  
I chewed my bottom lip unhappily, knowing she was right. It was an impulsive decision, but I wanted to do it as another safeguard for Zeus. It would make sure that if I was ever taken from this place, I would be forced return. I knew Zeus’ intentions would eventually fade over time. Even though I internally agreed with Hades, my reply was childish. “Don’t you want me here?”  
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t be coy, Persephone. I thought you were better than the same tricks the Olympian goddesses like to play.”  
I shrugged and smiled, impressed that she decided against playing that game with me. “What if someone comes to kidnap me? I am a daughter of Zeus, after all. I hear we’re highly prized.”  
She ignored my joke. “If it comes to that, I’ll let you bind yourself here, but only if there is a real threat or if you have spent enough time here and you decide you want to live here for the rest of eternity, and not a moment sooner.”  
“Would you like to bet on it?”  
Hades gave me a dry stare. “I don’t think betting on your fate for the rest of eternity is very amusing, Persephone.”  
“Maybe not, but it’s better than being terrified of it.” I paused, losing my smile. “Who would have thought the future would be so uncertain for people like us?”  
Hades took my hand again and offered me a tight, sympathetic smile. “I felt that way, once. It’s because we have so much to be uncertain about, but I know you will find your way eventually.”  
I drew away from her, unhappy with her response. “Please don’t tell me to have faith.”  
“Faith?” She laughed, her dark hair wild as she tossed her head back. “No, I wouldn’t tell you that. We don’t need faith; we are goddesses. We carve our own future through pain, war, loss, and victory. We take the broken things that are given to us by the people who laugh and we pound them into something whole, fixed, better. When they tell us to kneel, we rise above. When they attempt to silence us, we scream. When they try to break us, we smile and we thrive.”  
I was quieted, completely in awe of her. This was not the Hades I had expected, even after I knew she was a woman. I gave her a dazed smile before I could speak. “I see you haven’t lost your defiance.”  
“Never lose your defiance, Persephone. Sometimes it’s all you have.” She paused and looked further down the latest hallway, counting the number of doors softly. “This should be the one.”  
“My room?”  
“Yes.” She opened the door for me and torches in the room lit themselves immediately, but she didn’t enter. “I will leave you to get settled and rest. Markos will bring your things later.”  
I loitered at the door, unsure of what exactly to say. “Hades… thank you for this. You are letting a stranger live in your home and risking the wrath of my father… Your consideration and kindness are beyond what words will allow me to describe.”  
She dropped my hand but moved to tuck a lock of hair loose from the pins behind my ear, an incredibly personal gesture that set my cheeks aflame. “I would never let him touch you, Persephone. I couldn’t bear it.”  
My mouth went dry as I watched her, afraid to breathe or move or do anything at all, but her fingers fell from my cheek. “I hope you sleep well.”  
“I’m sure I will.” I let out a nervous breath and ducked into the room quickly, hiding my shaking hands in my himation. “Good night.”  
“Oh, Persephone!” Hades called. “Before I forget to tell you, you look absolutely beautiful in your peplos. The color suits you.” She smiled and closed my door before I could sputter a reply.  
That night, when I finally calmed my racing heart and let myself succumb to the exhaustion, I dreamt about a lot more than just kissing her fingertips.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persephone feels out of place in the Underworld and is invited to a gathering by Hecate, the chthonic goddess of magic, necromancy, and crossroads.

“Good, you’re finally awake.” I heard when I stirred from my sleep.  
My arms felt like lead beside me but, with effort, I raised them to rub the exhaustion from my eyes. I turned on my side with a heavy sigh and found Hades sitting in one of the lounges in my suite, parchment spread around her. “What are you doing here?”  
“Waiting for you to wake. You were asleep for several days and I was getting worried, but Hypnos assured me you were fine.” She sighed and moved the parchment off her lap, revealing her pale legs that shined in the torch light.  
I looked away as I felt my cheeks warm. “I didn’t know it was possible to sleep that long.”  
“Neither did I, not without a curse, but I forgot how taxing the journey here is for someone unlike us.”  
“What do you mean?” I risked looking back at her and saw she hadn’t fixed her peplos, so I tried to focus on her face. The sight of her long legs would just add more content to my dreams.  
“For chthonic deities, it is easy to return to the Underworld. We each have our ways. I have my chariot, for example. That’s why I wish I had known you were coming. I would have gladly spared you the harsh journey.”  
“It’s not your fault that I needed to be here so soon.” I sat up, the silk sheets falling away from my body, and goosebumps spread across my skin. I ran my hands down my arms in an attempt to brace myself for the cool air. I had changed into a short chiton before sleeping and a short chiton was not proper attire for the Underworld.  
“I’ll have some warmer clothes made for you, but for now…” Hades stood gracefully, the dark peplos falling to her feet, and removed a torch from the wall. She walked past me to the fireplace I hadn’t noticed was there and dipped the torch against the wood, lighting a fire immediately. “This should help. I’m afraid I’m quite used to the temperature. I know it’s quite cooler here than Olympus.”  
“It’s fine, Hades,” I murmured as I watched her eyes quickly glance at my legs as she straightened herself. I pulled one of the sheets off the bed, still warm, and wrapped it around myself securely. My eyes went back to the lounge and the pieces of parchment strewn across it. “What were you working on?”  
“Maps of the palace for you. I know this is a very confusing place and I don’t want you to get lost should you ever decide to explore without me or any of the others. Speaking of the others, they’ll be glad to know you’re awake. They’ve been making plans for you.” Hades moved to gather the pieces of parchment.  
“Oh?” I chuckled when she dropped a few. Not even goddesses were graceful all the time.  
“They want to show you the Underworld and their own part of the realm.”  
“Sounds fun.”  
“I wish I could spend more time with you, but I’m afraid I have very many things to do. I help Aeacus, Minos, and Rhadamanthus judge specific souls when their placement is uncertain or when they petition for replacement and the judges deem it worthy to actually see them. Sometimes I have to sort out disputes between deities.”  
“Really?” I had turned back to look at the fire but as I raised my arms to warm my hands, the sheet fell to the floor.  
Hades didn’t sound like she noticed. “Yes. Believe me, we are family here. We love each other, but arguments happen between the closest of people. Regardless, it keeps me very busy, so I’m afraid I may not be the best host. All of my servants have been specifically told to treat you with the greatest respect, even Markos.”  
“Well, I suppose that’s good. I don’t mean to trouble you but I’m feeling surprisingly hungry.” I turned and saw she was standing behind me, holding the sheet in one hand and the stack of parchment in the other.  
“Of course. I have time to show you to the kitchens. Would you like to change into something warmer? I suppose you could borrow something of mine, though it’s mostly all dark colors.”  
“And to think I remember you saying that I look good in black.” I took the papers and the sheet, but placed them on the bed.  
“Oh, you remember that?” It looked like Hades’ cheeks turned a light shade of pink, but it could have been the firelight.  
“I do, and thank you for offering, but I think I have something.” My eyes swept the room as they searched for my bag of belongings.  
“Your things are in the wardrobe. I took the liberty of having them washed while you were sleeping.”  
“That’s fine.” I searched the wardrobe for the peplos I had brought with me to Eleusis, a beautiful red fabric woven by Athena, and the himation my mother had given to me. I hadn’t brought any other himations with me so it would have to do. “I’m afraid I don’t have any sandals. I ruined the only pair I had.”  
“I’ll make some arrangements for new garments and shoes.”  
“Thank you!” I called as I went into a separate room to change out of my chiton and into the fresh clothes. I used the same jeweled fibulae my mother had gifted me to clip them up. I was surprised to find that my hair had stayed in its pins even as I slept. I removed the pins, my mahogany hair tumbling down my back in their absence. Even with the added layers of clothing, the stone was unforgivingly cold, and I shivered as I passed by the hearth, my body craving light and warmth.  
I would have to learn to do without.  
“If you stay long enough, I hope you’ll be able to navigate this place by yourself.”  
“I’ll be sure to study them. I’m not one for needing to rely on others, but you’ve probably realized that.” I followed her out of my room and made note of trying to remember exactly what room it was.  
“I picked your room because it’s the nicest room that is also close to everything else, for convenience. Well, I suppose not everything, but the major things. The grand library, the entrance, the kitchens, and the grand dining hall are all near here. Do you read? Oh, what am I saying? Of course you do. Well, if you enjoy reading, I’m sure you’ll like the library. I’ve been collecting for a long time and the books have accumulated. I’m afraid they aren’t all in our language, though.”  
“That’s fine. I’m well-versed in many languages. Athena helped raise me and she made training top priority, for the mind and the body.”  
Hades raised her eyebrow, clearly impressed. “A scholar and a warrior? Not something I’d expect given your talents.”  
“Not many do, and I admit I have none of Athena’s prowess, though I like to think I would be able to defend myself, should I ever need to.”  
“I take it you’ve never had to?”  
“Not until recently…” I trailed off slowly, trying to keep my mind from going back to Eleusis, my father reaching for me.  
“The times have certainly changed. When I was truly introduced to the world, it turned to chaos shortly after. Tell me, Persephone, how do you kill a god?” Her dark eyes were shining, indicating a riddle.  
“You can’t.” I decided to humor her. “How?”  
“You replace them.”  
“Oh?”  
“We are a family of usurpers. We steal what we want from others. Your father took the throne from my father, and my father took the throne from his. The titans replaced the Protogenoi, the primordial gods, and we replaced the titans. You know where they are now and in the future, who knows? Maybe our children will overthrow us and chain us in Tartarus for eternity, right next to the Titans. I can only imagine the cruel irony of it, the look on my father’s face as Zeus is chained beside him.”  
I mulled over her words, thinking about who could rule the realms. None of my brothers or sisters came to mind, save for maybe Athena. She had inherited much of her mother’s wisdom. “So… do you have any children?”  
Hades’ mouth formed a delicate ‘O’ as her eyes widened. “Me? Oh, certainly not.”  
I blushed at my forwardness. “I apologize. I didn’t know if you were wed or had any… consorts.”  
Hades was blushing, too. “My duties usually keep me from having any semblance of a personal life, I’m afraid. There are other reasons as well… Ah, here the kitchens are!” She pushed open a door and ushered me inside. I was surprised that the rush of air that spilled out was warm, and my skin tightened into goosebumps from the sudden temperature change.  
Ghostly servants stopped their tasks to bow to Hades and chorused to both of us, “My lord, my lady.”  
“I have to be leaving soon and I would like all of you to take care of our guest while I’m busy. Give her anything she asks for, except food or drink of this realm. I don’t want her bound here.” She leveled her gaze on me. “Please don’t do anything rash while I’m away. I’ll return later this evening, although I suspect we may have some guests arriving once they hear that Persephone is awake.”  
I grinned at her caution. “Farewell, Hades.”  
She moved to leave but paused. “Oh, I almost forgot! Can someone have her fitted for more clothing and footwear today?”  
“Of course, my lord.” Markos gave a curt bow as he entered the kitchens from a different door.  
“Good, you’re here, Markos. Remember what I said about manners? Treat her with the utmost respect or I’ll be forced to leave you out of this year’s visit to Elysium.”  
“I will be sure to. As I said, I didn’t know that you yourself had extended an invitation to Lady Persephone and I know how you are with the other gods above.”  
Hades pursed her lips. “That’s true. Now, I really must be going!” She stepped back to me and gave me a chaste, cool kiss on the cheek. “Goodbye!”  
I smiled numbly and waved, pressing my fingertips to my cheek after she had gone. Even though her lips had been cool, I could feel the kiss searing into my skin. It couldn’t mean anything, could it? The Olympian goddesses and I kissed each other often and nothing was meant by it other than friendship. After all, Hades could favor only men, or she could be like Athena.  
“Oh, dear,” Markos whispered as he looked down at my feet, clicking his tongue. “You aren’t wearing any shoes.”  
“I ruined the only pair I had. I didn’t think to bring others.” My stomach rumbled loud enough for him to hear and he raised an eyebrow. “Sorry!”  
“After you eat, we’ll have you fitted. Is there anything you would like?”  
“Just some fruit is fine. How do you even get food down here?”  
“Oh, the deities make sure to bring supplies down here when they return from the mortal world. It’s quite cool here, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, so the food stays fresh longer.”  
“Ahhh,” I murmured as I watched the servants set out a handful of different fruits. “No, I don’t need that much. This is fine. I’m not used to eating very often.”  
“No? I thought the Olympians liked to have their fill and more of everything, including food.” Markos raised an eyebrow.  
“Well, I’m not very much like my siblings, do you think?”  
“That remains to be unknown.”  
“I’m here, aren’t I?”  
Markos pursed his lips unhappily.  
I watched him with guarded eyes as I took a bite of fig. “Markos, really, I don’t see why you harbor such animosity towards me when I have done nothing to you. I can’t be bothered to care if you don’t like me, for whatever your petty little reasons are. I grew up in Olympus, a court of saboteurs! I never enjoyed their games, though I became adept at them, and I would prefer not to have to act like them while I’m away. So, for Hades’ sake and your own, at least act like you like me. Don’t you want to see your family or whoever in Elysium?”  
The kitchen servants sucked in a collective breath as they waited to see how Markos would react. He puffed up his chest but then deflated and said nothing.  
“Good, I’m glad that’s behind us. Now, may I ask what the animosity is about?”  
“Hades protects us but we protect Hades.” Markos said quietly, and the servants behind him nodded their heads in agreement.  
Honestly, I had no idea what a bunch of dead human souls could do against monsters, Titans, or gods, but I said nothing of the sort. “I harbor no ill will towards Hades. She is my savior. I don’t know her very well yet but I think… I think I would like her very much if I did.” I fought not to have my cheeks burn.  
The servants started smiling and whispering to one another and Markos quit frowning. “Very well. As Hades asked, I will call someone to have you measured for new clothing. You can finish eating and I’ll return shortly.”  
“Thank you, Markos!” I called after him, the echo of his footsteps fading away and continued picking at the fruit set out before me.  
“If I may be so bold, when did you meet Hades?” One of the kitchen servants asked quietly.  
“Only recently, when she visited Olympus. Even then, I didn’t know who she was. I was quite surprised when I arrived here.”  
Some of them chuckled lightly. “So were we.”  
“I really don’t want to be rude to Markos, you know. He seems very hostile towards me for no reason. I would rather not seem like an Olympian.”  
“It is fine, my lady. Markos is just peculiar about the gods. I don’t know why.”  
Footsteps were heard coming closer to the kitchen again and the servants dispersed quickly. Markos entered the kitchens again. “I’ve found someone to fit you. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll take you to her.”  
“I’m ready.” I said quickly, withdrawing from the counter. “I don’t want to be wasteful so I would offer to have you eat this, but… Do you even eat?” I glanced at their slightly transparent forms cautiously.  
“No, we don’t. Thank you for the offer, though, Lady Persephone.”  
“If you would follow me…” Markos raised an eyebrow and gestured to the door.  
“Yes, of course. Where are we going?”  
“Your room. Charis is waiting for you there.”  
“Oh, alright. Thank you,” I murmured as I followed him quickly, my feet never making a sound as I breezed across the stone. “Hades drew me maps of the palace so hopefully I will be able to find my way around in no time and you won’t have to deal with me as much.”  
Markos harrumphed his agreement and continued making the same twist and turns Hades had taken me through to get to the kitchens. I tried to make mental notes of the patterns on the floor, the number of doors and torches, and what the rooms with open doors held. I wish I could have said the hallway we ended up in looked familiar when he said, “Here’s your room. I have other things to do but if you need anything there is a rope in your room that you can pull to summon one of us.”  
“Thank you, Markos. Be free of me!” I laughed as I waved after him and entered the suite. It was noticeably warmer than when I had left it and I noticed a pile of logs next to the fireplace, which must have been Hades doing.  
“You must be Lady Persephone!” A spirit jumped up from the corner of the room. “Markos said that you needed to be fitted for clothes and sandals?”  
“Markos said your name was Charis?”  
“It is.” She gathered her things, pieces of fabric and measures, moving towards a stepping stool that had been set up in front of the fireplace. “Have you been fitted before?”  
“Yes, I have.” I took off my himation and tossed it on the bed, which had been made. “Do you need me to…” I gestured to my peplos.  
“If you don’t mind.”  
“I’m used to it.” I unclipped the fibulae and stepped out of the peplos and onto the stool. “You know, I’m quite glad it’s warmer in here.”  
Charis set to work measuring my height. “Markos said you need warmer clothes?”  
“I do, as well as footwear. Are you employed to make clothing for Hades?”  
“No, for cleaning, but my skills with sewing help.”  
“I don’t know how fast you’ll be able to make these but I would rather not have to borrow Hades’ clothing as well. She offered, but she has offered me too much. I can give her nothing in return.”  
Charis measured the length of my foot and tried to not look amused. “Oh, I’m sure that isn’t true.” Before I could ask her what she meant, she continued with other questions. “I brought a few pieces of different kinds of cloth with me if you would like to see what I could make.”  
“Sure.” I stepped down from the stool and dressed myself again while she brought them over to me. I ran my fingers over them and picked my favorites.  
“What colors would you like them to be? Hades has the means to dye fabric any color you wish.”  
I thought of the way the chthonic deities all wore black and how Hades had said it looked nice on me. It must have been the fire that was warming my cheeks. “Black… but I’m also partial to red.”  
Someone knocked on the door, which turned my attention away from Charis.  
“Come in!” I called just loud enough for whoever to hear.  
Hecate popped her blonde head in. “I see Hades had you situated in a better room. It’s quite warm in here.”  
I smiled, pleasantly surprised she stopped to visit me. “Hello, Hecate! Yes, she did.”  
“I’m so glad you’re finally awake. I was convinced Hypnos was doing something to you for you to be sleeping so long, but he wouldn’t dare cross Hades in such a way.”  
“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow. “What are you here for?”  
“Are you almost done?”  
I looked at Charis questioningly and she answered for me. “We are.”  
“Good,” Hecate threw a pair of sandals onto my bed. “Heard you needed some of these. We’re going on an adventure.”  
I eyed them apprehensively but returned my gaze to her. “You know I can’t go to the mortal world.”  
“Of course. Besides, who would want to go on an adventure there? It’s so mundane!” Hecate laughed. “No, Hades said it would be okay if I took you to my place.”  
“Your place?”  
“Oh, cheer up! It’s amazing, plus you’ll get to meet some of my Lampades, the ones that are home, at least.”  
I took the sandals off of the bed and began to put them on. “Hades said it would be okay to go with you? When did you speak to her?”  
Hecate waved her hand absently. “When I came in.”  
I jerked up more quickly than I would have liked. “She’s here?”  
“Oh, no, she’s not. I just visited her at the Hall of Judgement before I got here.”  
I finished tying the laces of the sandals around my ankles. “Where is that?”  
“It’s a little hard to explain exact locations in the Underworld, but I’m sure Hades will take you there eventually.”  
I preoccupied myself with making sure my himation was pinned correctly while I murmured, “Hades seems to be very busy.”  
“She is, but she told me to tell you she wishes she could be here with you.”  
“Did she really?” Hearing that made my heart flutter, but I forcibly exhaled to calm it. I had never felt this way about anyone, and it was unsettling.  
“Yes, but are you ready now?”  
I looked wistfully into the flickering flames in the fireplace. “I hate to say it, but I’m going to miss the warmth.”  
“I’ll set up a fire when we get there.”  
“Lady Persephone, I’ll try to have some peploi, himations, and sandals made for you as soon as possible.”  
“Thank you very much, Charis! Have a good day!”  
“You’re so kind, my lady. Thank you!”  
Hecate offered her arm and I took it, exiting the room into the cold hallway. “So, Persephone, the servants have been speaking.”  
“What about?”  
“You confronted Markos about his rather annoying attitude?”  
I smiled when I saw she was impressed. “Nothing too important. I don’t want to go making enemies.”  
“Your Olympian politics.” Hecate shook her head. “Even if you did make him an enemy, you shouldn’t fear anything from him. If he so much as thought of hurting you, I’m sure Hades would throw him in Tartarus.” She paused to sigh. “Markos is a bitter soul. I believe something happened between him and some gods and possibly ended with his family being killed? I’m not entirely sure. I really have no idea why Hades hired him, but she has a soft spot for the sad stories sometimes.”  
“That’s nice of her. She’s really quite… different than I expected her to be.”  
“How so? I’ve known Hades since she was born, so it would be interesting to hear a new perspective.”  
“Well, as you know, I thought she was a man. The Olympians don’t talk about this place very often, but the whispers are usually nothing too kind about the Underworld or its residents. Frankly, I thought Hades would be frightening.”  
Hecate chuckled softly. “Hades is not usually frightening, but she can be. We all can be, after all, but she does not usually lose her temper. It’s surprising that she is so calm, what with the twins and their unending idiocy.”  
We winded through hallways and down elaborate staircases and I started to wonder if I would ever memorize this labyrinth of a house when we found ourselves at the front door. “How long will it take to get to your home?”  
She opened the door for us because there weren’t any servants around. “Not very long at all. Actually, I’ll bet you find our mode of transportation quite interesting.”  
“Oh? I’m intrigued.”  
“I’ll try not to disappoint. Come on, we need to be farther away from the palace. I don’t want to bring any of it with us. Hades would have my head.” She led me down the path I had so desperately ran up just a few days ago. The mushrooms and strange plants that had grown from my footsteps were dead, shrivelled husks, but more bloomed as we walked. Hecate made note of it. “That’s quite interesting. Does that always happen?”  
“Yes. I can’t help it.”  
“I’m very surprised you are able to grow things from this soil, but the Underworld does alter its ways for certain people. I think it may have taken a liking to you.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“You’re about to see an example.” The gates were closed but opened silently with a wave of Hecate’s hand. She pulled me through and we walked a few more paces until she stopped. “This should be far enough. Okay, make sure you have a firm grip on me. You don’t want to be lost down here.”  
I watched as Hecate closed her eyes and wisps of darkness, almost like smoke but with direction, slithered up from the ground to encompass us. The low light of the Underworld was blocked out by complete darkness for only a moment, but when it dispersed, we were in a completely different place. The sound of the wind was gone and we were no longer in the shadow of Hades’ palace. “What? How?”  
Hecate turned me around quickly to face nothing short of another palace, though it was nowhere near as massive or complex as Hades’. “That was how the chthonic deities travel throughout the Underworld. This is my home.”  
“But how do you do that? I thought only Hermes had that sort of gift, to appear in one place and then another.”  
“He is the only one. This only works for us here. The Underworld has a mind of its own sometimes and it becomes attached to its residents. All of us have been here so long that we are a part of it and because of that, we are awarded with such gifts. We are able to move ourselves through the Underworld. I have to be a bit further away from things when I travel because I have a tendency of taking things with me. My magic likes to do whatever it wants.”  
The doors of her palace opened suddenly and a bunch of women poured out. “Welcome home, my lady!”  
“These are my Lampades.” Hecate nodded to them as they bowed in respect.  
“Who is this, my lady?”  
“And how is she doing that?” One of them pointed a surprisingly tan finger at the mushrooms and plants growing around my feet.  
“This is Persephone, daughter of Demeter, goddess of vegetation.”  
“But you know how nothing grows from…”  
“And you know how the Underworld chooses to respond to gods and goddesses in different ways. I take it as a good sign.”  
“It likes her,” they whispered between each other excitedly.  
“Aren’t you all going to take her inside?”  
“Uh, my lady, we have a few… unexpected guests.”  
Hecate brought her fingers to her temple and cursed softly. “I hope it’s not Eurynomos. I told him I’d speak to him another day. I wouldn’t want Persephone to meet him.”  
“Who is he?”  
“A daimon that eats rotting corpses. He is an… unsavory character, to say the least.”  
One of them shook her head. “No, it’s not Eurynomos.”  
“My positively favorite chthonic goddess, other than Hades, of course!” Thanatos cried, throwing open the door.  
“It’s quite rude to throw a gathering and not invite us, so we invited ourselves.” Hypnos was close behind him and he took a moment to nod his head at me.  
Hecate rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. “Even worse than Eurynomos.”  
“I’ll ignore that.”  
“You shouldn’t be so rude to your guests!”  
“Unwanted guests,” Hecate corrected crisply and pushed Thanatos aside.  
Hypnos held the door open for us, one eyebrow raised as I laughed at their antics. “You’re looking well, Persephone.”  
“I feel much better, thank you.”  
“The others can’t wait to meet you!”  
“What others? Did you bring the entire Underworld with you?”  
Thanatos waved his hand idly. “Just Melinoe and Achlys.”  
“Oh, because they’re a cheerful bunch,” Hecate said flippantly.  
“You shouldn’t have tried to sequester our newest resident then. It’s positively selfish to keep Persephone to yourself.”  
I tuned out of their bickering to admire Hecate’s home. It was well lit and warm, lined with more torches than was necessary. Instead of black polished stone like Hades’ grand palace, hers was made of white marble, which made it look much brighter than it actually was. Most of the decorations were lunar depictions of some sort, sparkling gray and white. Smoke and the smell of incense hung in the air, pungent but not strong enough to be overpowering, and the tiles we walked upon were engraved with different runes and symbols, ones that I couldn’t place. The engravings glowed a faint blue as Hecate stepped over them.  
I couldn’t blame any of them for their bickering over me, not really. They were all so much older than me and had been in the Underworld, together, long before I was born. It must be rare to have visitors, let alone an immortal staying for an undisclosed amount of time. They were so fascinated by how different I was, how tan my skin was, the flowers that grew with or without my command.  
The differences only continued to grow as I was introduced to Melinoe and Achlys, both pale goddesses with perpetually sullen facial expressions. I chuckled for Hypnos’ benefit when he joked about Melinoe making his job difficult when she cursed his sleeping humans with nightmares and when she replied with how he could always send one of his numerous sons, and made myself appear agreeable as I chatted and drank their wine, but I retreated internally, as I often did in social occasions.  
They were clearly a close-knit family, with their own dynamics, their own jokes, their own ways of displaying their love for one another. I had never felt that way with the Olympians, but how could I possibly be a part of this family? They were unendingly kind to me and made a point of including me on every conversation and story, but I was troubled.  
Would I stay long enough to become a part of this place, with them, or would I leave after a few months or years, and be forgotten?  
I thought of what Athena had told me.  
“If you think you have no place in a battlefield, why is the goddess of plants asking about the Underworld?”  
Perhaps she had been right by implicating if I didn’t think I had a place with her, why I had thought of this place. I was born to be under the sun and on the earth, not beneath it.  
But then there was Hades, endlessly kind and beautiful Hades, who assured me I would always have a place here, where I would be protected, where I didn’t have to fear the threat of my father.  
My chest tightened as did my grip on the goblet. I wanted to excuse myself to get a bit of air and then run back to the safety and tranquility of my room in Hades’ palace, but I didn’t know how to get back to it or do what Hecate did, so I sat discontented with a bland but pretty smile plastered on my face and nodded along to their conversations.  
I felt immensely horrible for not enjoying their company, these nymphs and gods and goddesses who all wanted to be my friends, and altogether wretched. All the differences between us were blindingly clear to me.  
You don’t belong. You don’t belong.  
The door to the sitting room we were all in opened quietly, but because I wasn’t paying attention to the conversation, I heard and turned. It was Hades, dressed in a fine himation and wearing a heavy diadem. She looked weary but awarded me with a bright smile before the others noticed she came in.  
The nymphs noticed her and bowed respectfully, as did the deities. I was torn between doing the same but ended up giving her a small nod.  
“I’ve come to relieve Persephone from all of you.”  
The nymphs muttered cries in protest and Hecate and the twins asked, “Does she really need to leave? You could stay with us for a bit too.”  
Hades opened her mouth but looked to me to see what I wanted. I was touched she thought to ask my opinion. With my back turned to my hosts, I let my face show how miserable I felt. She smiled sympathetically before saying, “I actually have some matters I need to discuss with Persephone. I’m sure you will be seeing her again soon.”  
I turned back to my hosts and smiled. “Thank you for having me, Hecate. I will make a point of visiting you again.”  
Hades offered me her arm and we walked quietly out of Hecate’s home. I watched her out of the corner of my eye, but she seemed to be content not speaking. When we were outside, she finally spoke. “You are distressed.”  
My shoulders fell. “Yes, but I… I don’t know how to speak of it properly.”  
“That doesn’t matter. You can say what you feel around me, around the others, too.”  
“They’re very kind to me, you even more so. I’m so grateful that words cannot describe it.” I sighed and Hades looked to me to continue. “I feel so different and alienated from them. You are all a family, and have been a family for ages, and I don’t think I belong.”  
“You may be different, Persephone, but you can be a part of our family if you wish.”  
“It’s not their fault, you know. They tried to include me as much as they could but I just felt horrible. I never felt like the Olympians were my family, as you well know, so I don’t even know what it feels like. How can I be a part of something when I would merely be a pretender? How can I possibly be a part of this?” I waved my arm out at the vastness of the Underworld that lay before us.  
“I think it will just take some adjustment.” Hades offered a small smile to me. “You are very new here, in this strange place, with people you don’t know. That would be hard for anyone. You know as well as I that gods don’t handle change very well.”  
I smiled at her remark. “No, we don’t.”  
“I was the same when I came here. Either you don’t stay very long and can return safely, or you stay here and you adapt. That’s all there is to do.” Hades sighed into the everlasting night and looked back at my face, eyes soft. “But I admit I like having you here, and I hope you’ll do more than just adapt.”  
I turned my eyes away as I blushed. “I… Thank you, Hades.”  
“You have people here that care for your well being and truly mean it. Believe me, Persephone, all of us would love to be your friends and we would love to consider you a part of our family.”  
I laughed nervously at her words and the heavy meaning she conveyed through them as she watched me. I didn’t like the way my heart was swelling inside my chest without my consent. “Like your sister?”  
She only smiled in response.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hades surprises Persephone and a letter from Olympus is delivered by Hermes.

“Are you feeling any better yet?” Hades asked when we entered her rooms, which were actually a collection of suites that could easily house a large family of mortal royalty. She trailed into her bedroom and sat down in front of a desk and mirror, taking off her crown and shaking out her hair. With only a point of her finger, a fire erupted in her fireplace and began to warm the room.  
I didn’t know whether to be transfixed by the sight of the balcony overlooking a waterfall, the size of Hades’ canopied bed, or the sight of Hades running her fingers through the black locks before answering. “A little, actually.”  
“This probably won’t make you feel any better, but it was probably Achlys causing you to feel like that.” Hades watched me in the mirror as she took off her other jewelry.  
“What do you mean?”  
“She is the goddess of misery and sadness. Just like you can’t help when you grow flowers around you, she can’t help how her presence brings about negative feelings.”  
I frowned. “The others seemed fine.”  
“It’s because we’ve grown used to it. We just ignore them.”  
My frown increased. It was just another reason I was so different from them.  
“I’m sorry.” She rose from her seat gracefully but looked like she debated approaching me. “I can see I’ve only made it worse.”  
“No, it’s not you, Hades. I don’t think it could ever be you.” I sighed and bit my tongue at my remark and how she would take it.  
She entered a room lined with clothing and turned her back to me as she started unclipping her himation. I could hear the plink, plink, plink as she dropped the fibulae in a dish and began to slip out of her peplos. I saw the flash of her pale back before I turned away, the blood draining from my face.  
I shouldn’t care about her skin, about seeing her without clothing, because it was commonplace in Olympus. Regardless, it felt different with Hades. I was in turmoil with guilt about my dreams and thoughts of her. I cleared my throat lightly, in some vague attempt to dispel my thoughts or get rid of the knot in my throat, I didn’t know.  
Hades came back in a simple and plain black peplos, her shoulders and arms bare. “I make a terrible god of riches, don’t I? I hate the costumes, the jewelry. It’s all for show.”  
I didn’t say anything.  
She looked away from me and sat on a settee. “Please, sit with me, Persephone. I’m terrible for not offering sooner.”  
How could I refuse? I sat with her, but I still couldn’t trust myself to speak, not after my last remark she decided not to reply to.  
She brushed a lock of hair off my shoulder and I tensed. “Persephone, I don’t like seeing you upset. It’s the last thing I want.”  
“It’s not your fault. It’s just… me. I swear.”  
“You are different from us. You know that and we know that. You don’t have to be like us to be accepted. You don’t have to change. In fact, I think you’re wonderful as you are.”  
“Thank you.”  
“You will feel much better once Achlys’ effect wears off. It was thoughtless of them to not warn you. I’ll speak to them.” Hades paused and leaned back to chuckle to herself. “The look on your face when they wanted you to stay longer. I have to agree, they can be overbearing. I take it socializing isn’t your favorite activity?”  
“No, not at all.” I shook my head. “The Olympians are all about parties and gatherings that involve drinking for just about any occasion you could possibly think of. I hated all of it and although I enjoy being around Hecate and the others, I can’t stand wasting time with idle talk. Particularly because it reminds me of Olympus, which is something I’d rather forget right now. ”  
“That’s completely understandable. I’ll make soft suggestions to them about how to handle engagements with you, if that’s okay.”  
“I am so grateful for what you have done and for them for trying to accept me. I just feel terrible for feeling this way. It’s hard to articulate.”  
“You have been through much lately. They need to understand that.” Hades took my hand and squeezed it softly to reassure me. “Would you like to see something?”  
“Will this be dangerous?”  
Hades pulled me to stand after her, sudden enough to make me lose balance and stumble into her chest. She had to steady me by my waist as she laughed. “Would it matter if it was?”  
I don’t think I had ever blushed as deeply as I did then. I sputtered something that was somewhere in between a “yes” and a “no” as she pulled me out of her room, her bare feet skipping across the stone.  
“To properly answer your question, no, this won’t be dangerous in the least.” She took a sudden turn at an intersecting hallway. “But first, we need to stop by the kitchens.”  
“What for?”  
“Apples to appease them.”  
“Them?” I asked cautiously.  
“You’ll see!” She pulled me into the kitchen.  
The heat surprised me once again, but for the first time since I arrived in the Underworld, I didn’t feel cold. It was probably the running we just did, but Hades’ hand felt warm around mine.  
“My ladies!” Some of the kitchen staff gasped as we entered. “We didn’t expect you!”  
“I need a bunch of apples.”  
“Of course!”  
“Are they for…”  
“Yes, but it’s a surprise for Persephone. She doesn’t know.”  
“I’m getting very suspicious about you. You could be leading me into a trap for all I know.”  
“Oh, you know I would never do that! You have little faith.”  
A bag was handed to her. She removed a flawlessly red apple and took a bite, then offered it to me. “It’s delicious.”  
I took it because I felt like I couldn’t refuse and she watched me as my teeth sunk into its skin. Although it shouldn’t have mattered, something felt extremely personal about the act, of my mouth touching where hers had been and how she watched me eat it.  
“They will be sure to love them. Thank you!” Hades waved goodbye to them and took my hand again.  
Even as I took another bite of the apple, I heard the spirits whispering over the crunch.  
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen Hades so happy.”  
My heart broke when I heard it, though I didn’t outwardly show it. How lonely it must have been for her, how terrible to be cast down here practically as a punishment for nothing, but my father had always been a bastard. Even then, my heart warmed hearing that Hades was finally happy, and how it was because of me.  
“What could possibly need apples down here?”  
“You’d be surprised at how many things live here, Persephone. Be patient. You will meet them shortly.” Hades pulled me through the rest of her palace, weaving through passageways without faltering, until we left the maze of her home through some back exit.  
“It’s… bright.”  
Hades squinted as she looked up to the sun rising into the edge of the Underworld’s sky. “Oh, that’s just Hemera visiting her mother. She does that every few days. They’re quite close despite living in different realms. It’s nice.”  
“There is a sun, in the Underworld? Forgive me, I’m stunned.”  
“Hemera is the goddess of the day and the sun tends to follow her, so when she visits Nyx, a sun shows up here. Did you think it was always nighttime here?”  
“Actually, yes.”  
Hades chuckled. “It was very strange for me to get used to as well. She must be just arriving. Come, I wouldn’t want you to miss your first sunrise down here.”  
I followed her as we made our way up a stone staircase carved from the stone of the Underworld itself. Once over the hill, I spotted another massive building below us. “Is that where we’re going?”  
“Yes!” Hades skipped down the hill and took the handle of the huge door and slid it open. “Now, remember, they wouldn’t dare harm one of my friends, despite what they might look like.”  
The building was completely dark and seemed empty from the way the sound of the door echoed back several times. Then, I heard heavy sniffing. Suddenly, several torches lit simultaneously and Hades’ hand touched my shoulder to reassure me.  
“Those,” I started carefully, “are no normal horses.”  
Hades threw her head back and laughed. “Oh, come now, Persephone. I’m a god. Since when do any of us have normal horses? Poseidon isn’t very different from… well, you know that better than I do, probably.”  
I chuckled weakly as I took the sight in. The two horses that stood before us were massive, larger than any horses I had ever seen, and pure black. Their coats gleamed as they shifted impatiently in front of us. One leaned down to sniff the bag in Hades’ hand, revealing its red eyes and mane made of black flame. Hades reached into the bag and offered an apple to it and the horse took the fruit between its white teeth gently before backing away to eat it. The other stamped its feet and tried to move closer to Hades, but she held out her hand and it quieted. She dug around in the bag and gave an apple to me to give to the other horse.  
I held out my hand gingerly and murmured, “Here you go.”  
This horse, as impatient as it was, still took the fruit gently, as I only felt its lips brush my palm for a brief moment.  
“Aren’t they beautiful?” Hades smiled as she ran a hand over one of their coats. “These are the horses that pull my chariot. Also, if you’re wondering, no, the flames don’t burn.”  
“So they are descended from my uncle, I take it?”  
“An apology gift after the lots were drawn.” Hades rolled her eyes. “I still love them, though.”  
“They are beautiful,” I nodded my agreement.  
“Can you ride?”  
“Of course.”  
“Bareback?” Hades grinned mischievously.  
“I don’t think I like where this is going,” I said, but next thing I know, Hades pushed me up onto one of the horses and leaped onto the other and galloped out of the stables. My horse followed her without my direction and I was forced to lean down and hold onto its neck securely.  
“They don’t even have a mane to hold onto!” I yelled after Hades, my horse gaining on hers with ease as we raced up rolling hills of gray earth.  
“Isn’t that what makes it exciting?”  
“I thought you said this wasn’t going to be dangerous!”  
“It’s perfectly safe!” Hades slowed her steed to a stop as we reached the top of quite a large hill. “Let’s stop here.” She slid off her horse with ease and helped me off of mine, holding my waist until my feet touched the ground. “It’s a good place to watch the sunrise.”  
The hill did have quite a view of much of the Underworld, different rivers reflecting the pink light as it stretched above the horizon. “Why is there nothing here?”  
“The Underworld is vast beyond imagination. Everything is spread out and accessible in different ways, which is why we have to travel as I did with you earlier. I assume Hecate did the same as well. Do you see the light on the horizon that way?” She pointed in a direction opposite of the rising sun.  
“Yes.”  
“That’s Elysium. And that purple light over there is where Hypnos and his family reside.”  
“Thanatos?”  
“No, he lives elsewhere. I meant Hypnos and his children, Morpheus, Phobetor, Phantasos, and all the rest of the Oneiroi.”  
“Hypnos seems to be quite… busy.”  
Hades look bemused at my remark. “He’s married to Pasithea.”  
“She’s one of the Charites, is she not? Don’t they all live in Olympus?”  
“Well, I certainly wouldn’t consider Hypnos and Pasithea close.”  
I raised my eyebrows. “Ah, marriage.”  
Hades chuckled. “It’s a shame so many of us are paired with people we do not love. I suppose it’s not surprising why they decide to see others.”  
“Were you ever paired with someone else?”  
“I am not wed, no.”  
It was a strange way to answer my question but I turned away to watch the sunrise and handed each of the horses an apple. “It is very beautiful up here. Thank you for showing me.”  
I was startled when her fingers brushed against my shoulder. She withdrew them quickly when she noticed I had tensed. “Well, I want to make your stay here as bearable as possible.”  
I glanced over at her quickly, trying to take in the sight of her bathed in golden pink light and commit it to memory. I didn’t think I had ever seen someone as beautiful as her, not even Aphrodite. “I think it’s more than bearable.”  
“I want you to get more comfortable here before I show more of the Underworld to you. As much as I would like it to be, the Underworld is not flawless. There are lots of creatures that are tucked away in the crevices of this place that don’t wish to be discovered. I would much rather you not have to deal with them at all.”  
“Don’t they all serve you?”  
“Serve me? Oh, no, certainly not.” She took in my confused expression. “It would be unfair to them. I was only appointed to rule this place because I won the war. The Underworld is so ancient and many of its residents were here long before I was. I let them keep to themselves if they stay civil. I think I forgot to mention this in Olympus, but did you know that each of the rivers of the Underworld have their own gods?”  
“Really?”  
“Styx, Acheron, Lethe, Cocytus, and Phlegethon, yes. It is said that Styx was in love with Phlegethon but she was consumed by his flames and sent here, where their rivers could join and flow together.”  
“Is that true?”  
“Who am I to say? It happened before I was here.”  
I smiled at her with admiration. “You are an interesting woman, Hades.”  
“As are you.” She paused for several moments. “It’s interesting that I only saw Lampades in Hecate’s home. Hecate probably told them to leave while you visited.”  
“Only?”  
“Hecate has many, many different kinds of beings that follow her. The Lampades are her torch-bearing nymphs, but also daimones like the Empusai, Lamiae, and Mormolykeia.”  
“What are they?”  
“Vampires. They disguise themselves as beautiful women and drink the blood of men, but they are different. Lamiae have snake-like tails instead of legs, Empusai have flaming hair and one donkey leg and one bronze leg, and… Oh, Persephone, don’t look that way! You must learn to be more accepting. You can’t blame them for only doing what they need to do to survive. Most of them prefer wearing their disguises all the time, should you ever meet one of them.”  
The thought was still unsettling and I frowned. “I hope the men deserve it.”  
“I’m sure most of them do. Oh, that reminds me. What did you think of Cerberus?”  
“What?”  
“My dog! He guards the gates of the Underworld.”  
“I didn’t see a dog when I arrived, but I was so tired that maybe I didn’t notice him.”  
“Oh, you would most definitely notice him. This is troubling. I need to check on him. Would you like to come?”  
“I guess so.”  
Hades looked over to the horses and dumped the rest of the apples onto the ground. “I want you two to share these equally and return to the stables when you’re ready.”  
I was surprised when both of the horses nodded their understanding, but Hades grabbed my hand and pulled me away from them and closer to her. Tendrils of darkness snaked up our legs until it blacked out the sunrise and then we were at the gate of the Underworld.  
“He’s supposed to guard the Underworld against the living and other people who don’t belong. He should have been wary of you.”  
“He wasn’t here, I swear.”  
“Cerberus?” Hades called and waited as she listened. She cupped her hands around her mouth and called his name again, this time as more of a yell. We waited again until I started hearing a rhythmic thumping sound. “He’s coming.”  
A dog with three heads appeared in the distance, running towards us and steadily growing larger and larger. It stopped in front of Hades and its three heads towered over us, taller than the massive gate we stood in front of.  
“You’re right. I wouldn’t have missed him.” I tried not to shrink back in fear knowing that Hades would never let anything happen to me, but Cerberus was just so… large. The three heads all had gleaming white teeth as tongues rolled out of their mouths haphazardly.  
Hades reached up to pet him and the three heads lowered to let her reach. “Well, I’m glad you’re okay, Cerberus, but that doesn’t tell me why you weren’t here to stop Persephone. She’s a friend so you didn’t have to, but she could have been an assassin trying to kill me, for all you know. I’m thinking I might need to fire you, Cerberus.” She laughed, clearly joking, but it was strange that I hadn’t even seen him if it was his job to keep people out.  
In response, one of the heads looked at me, sniffed, and turned away, dismissively.  
“Apparently, I’m not deemed a threat.”  
Hades scratched the three heads lovingly and I could only watch and remember how she stroked her horses, or how much she cared about my wellbeing. Hades clearly had love in her heart, for all the things in the Underworld, and it was amazing how someone so hated, feared, and betrayed, could be this way.  
“You must have known about her, didn’t you?” Hades murmured to Cerberus, low enough for me to have to strain to hear. “You must have known she belongs here.”  
I pretended I hadn’t heard it, but I was stricken. She sounded so sure about me despite all my doubts about myself and this place.  
My line of thought was disrupted when one of Cerberus’ heads noticed the flora growing around my feet and started to nip at it playfully. I quickly stepped backwards as the other heads followed suit.  
“You aren’t used to seeing that around here, aren’t you, boy?” Hades laughed but caught my hand and pulled me closer to her. “Do you know what any of those are?”  
“No, I’m afraid not. I haven’t seen anything like these before.”  
Hades stooped to pluck a white flower that was blooming near my leg and showed it to me, twisting the stem between her thumb and forefinger like she had done with the narcissus I had given her in Olympus. “This is an asphodel flower. It’s one of the only things that grows here.”  
“What came first, the flower or the Fields?” I smiled but froze as she tucked the small, white flower behind my ear.  
“Another mystery.” She gazed at my face for a brief moment before withdrawing her hand.  
“There seems to be many of those here.” I frowned, wanting to know more about the realm, slightly unhappy with her lack of answers.  
“Ah, but didn’t you know everything about everything related to the heavens?” Hades rolled her eyes at the name.  
“Most of it.”  
“And you found it boring, did you not? This realm has its mysteries and that’s part of the magic of it.” Hades turned away from me to give Cerberus a leveled stare. “We have something here that needs protecting. You need to do better about guarding the gates.”  
His heads nodded slowly.  
“Now, let’s go home.”  
“Home?” I echoed her word as more of a question than anything.  
Hades seemed to blush. “Oh, I just meant my home. I apologize for assuming anything.”  
“It’s fine.” I waved my hand dismissively. “Where’s Charon, by the way? Actually, now that I think of it, where’s the river near here?”  
“There isn’t a river near here.”  
“Then how did…” I trailed off as I looked around suspiciously, making sure the gate looked the same as it did when I arrived in the Underworld. “It was right here. I may have been tired but I know it was. Charon ferried me across the river and dumped me on the shores of your palace.”  
Hades only smiled in response.  
* * *  
A warm fire crackled in the hearth in one of the reading rooms adjoined with the grand library. Scrolls and parchment in various languages were spread out on the rug around me, though I was careful to keep them far enough from the reach of any stray embers. I studied the words a second time to commit them to memory.  
It had been a few pleasant days since my small adventure with Hades to see her horses and Cerberus, and in the meantime I had decided that I wanted to learn about as much of the Underworld as I could. Hades had directed me to the grand library, which was a palace of literature in its own right, selected a few beginner things to read, and told the servants to help me if I had any questions while she was away.  
I sipped a hot drink that Hades had introduced me to the other day. When I asked what it was, she called it tea and said it was something the people in the East drink because it makes them feel better. I asked if she meant like wine or nectar but she just laughed and sweetened it with honey before having me drink it.  
I wasn’t sure if I enjoyed it because of the way it tasted or because Hades liked it.  
The heat of the fire was finally starting to irritate me, but I didn’t bother moving. I simply removed my new himation and tossed it over the lounge, only pausing to remember the way Hades had smiled when she saw me wearing it.  
There was a sudden knock on the door, surprising me. The servants didn’t usually bother me here and Markos avoided me like my presence brought a plague. I sat my drink down before calling, “Come in!”  
Markos appeared first, followed by Hermes.  
“Sister, you’re looking surprisingly well!” Hermes crossed the distance before I could stand and helped me up, pulling me into an embrace.  
“You’re probably the last person I expected to come through that door.”  
“Get many visitors, do you?” Hermes joked, releasing me.  
“Hecate and the twins constantly want to visit. I practically have to fight them off to get some time alone.” I laughed and glanced at the papers near the fire, making sure they didn’t burn. I would never forgive myself if I destroyed some of Hades’ possessions.  
“I’m serious about you looking well. You’re ravishing in your funeral attire.”  
I raised an eyebrow. “You don’t approve of the color?”  
“That’s not important.”  
“No, I suppose it isn’t,” I deadpanned. “Why are you here, Hermes?”  
“I am a psychopompos, you know.”  
“I do, but I’m not a freshly departed mortal soul needing a guide to the Underworld. Please get to the point.”  
Hermes brandished a piece of parchment from his chiton. “This is for you. Hades told me it was okay for you to read it.”  
“She read it even though it’s for me?”  
Markos spoke up, “Given your delicate situation, Hades thought it was best to make sure it was safe.”  
I pursed my lips unhappily as I fingered the parchment. I already knew who it was from. “Thank you for delivering this, Hermes. I assume she doesn’t expect a reply?” He nodded to confirm. “If you get the chance, give her my thanks and tell her I miss her.”  
“I will.”  
“I hope you will keep this whole thing a secret.”  
He smiled, but it was faint. “She’d make sure I fared the same fate as Uranus if I didn’t. Goodbye, Persephone.”  
“Farewell!” I glanced to the paper but when I raised my eyes again, Hermes was gone and Markos was closing the door.  
Dear Sister,  
It didn’t take much investigating to realize where you had gone, what with your vague and suspicious questions about the Underworld after Hades had visited our father and Hermes, looking altogether suspicious as well, easily submitted the truth of your whereabouts.  
Unfortunately, that worries me. He submitted to me and he will eventually divulge the truth to Father. My threats will only go so far so it’s only a matter of time, but I hope your new home provides adequate protection to keep him at bay.  
Things are not faring well in Olympus, or the mortal world, for anyone.  
Zeus is enraged that you defied him. He returned to Eleusis the same night, so it was smart of you to leave when you did and not tell your mother where you planned to go. Unfortunately, Eleusis suffered from that second visit. Zeus has sent many of us to scour the mortal world in search of you and, naturally, we have found nothing, which angers him even more.  
Hera is upset that Zeus is making such an ordeal about you and everyone is upset to be disturbed with such matters that don’t pertain to them.  
I hate to be the one telling you this information, Persephone, but I’m anxiously awaiting Hermes’ return and his news of you. I hope you are well, happy, safe, and that the Lady of the Underworld is treating you fairly.  
I suspect you must have met her when she visited father on one of your late night walks.  
I miss you and love you, Sister. I would go to the ends of the world, and even the Underworld, to protect you from him.  
The news was troubling, but I glared at the paper because I couldn’t glare at Athena in person. I shouldn’t have been surprised that Athena had known Hades was a woman because Athena seemed to know everything. I was just surprised she decided to withhold that fact from me.  
I tossed the letter into the fire and sat onto the floor unhappily, huffing a few stray strands of hair out of my face before taking a sip of my cooling tea. I hoped Hades was right about tea making people feel better, because I needed the comfort.  
I started reading again, pouring myself into my studies as a distraction from the turmoil. I had read about the rivers and their respective gods yesterday, how Acheron was married to a nymph named Gorgyra, the tale Hades told me of Styx and Phlegethon, and so on, and was now learning about the different parts of the realm that mortal souls inhabited.  
It seemed simple enough to understand and the texts supported what Hades had told me in Olympus, though in greater detail.  
As much as I wanted to learn everything about this place, mortal souls waiting out eternity doing the same things over and over again were no concern of mine. I was intrigued about the hidden beings that lived here, who lived in the crevices of the Underworld, as Hades had said.  
There was a soft knock on the door, distinctly different from Markos’ loud, impatient banging.  
“Come in.”  
The door pushed opened slowly to reveal Hades with a soft expression. “How are you feeling? Given the news…”  
I leaned against the lounge behind me and looked back at my studies. “It’s not polite to read messages meant for me.”  
“I thought it would be best to check if it was safe from enchantments and curses.”  
I sent a halfhearted glare her way. “It could have been personal and very… private.”  
Hades raised a dark eyebrow. “I wasn’t aware you had that kind of correspondences. Is there anyone I should be aware of?”  
I turned my face away from her when I blushed deeply. “No.”  
“Well then,” Hades’ voice moved closer to me and I felt the lounge shift as she sat on it. “How are your studies going?”  
“Fine, but there’s nothing about Tartarus in here.”  
Hades didn’t reply to my remark right away. “Yes, well, I thought it was best to breach that topic at a later date.”  
“I’m getting tired of that phrase.” I murmured as I set the papers down.  
“What?”  
“I thought it would be best to…” I repeated the words back to her.  
“Persephone, it’s only because I’m worried about your wellbeing.”  
I stood up sharply to face the fireplace, my back erect to Hades. The fire died down to its embers under my gaze, before flaring up as I spoke. “You and everyone else constantly underestimate me because you think I am a child, compared to the rest of you. Sometimes, that’s a blessing, a tactical advantage I can use to my benefit, but I am not at war and it is a curse more than anything. I am not Kore anymore, I am not the Maiden, because I am not weak, and she was. I can handle learning about the dark places of the Underworld. Ignorance is weakness.” I seethed as I finished, the fire calming.  
Suddenly, I felt Hades’ warm hand on my wrist and she pulled me to look at her, though she was also forced to tear her eyes away from the fireplace. “You do not understand my meaning, Persephone. I don’t think you are a child or that you are weak. You are far braver and stronger than most of the Olympians, not only for defying your father, but for your hard journey here. Your will for self-preservation is admirable.”  
“Then what do you mean?”  
“If any of my family was in the same situation as you, I would react the same way. Hecate, Thanatos, and Hypnos are far older, wiser, and stronger than me and I would do everything in my power to keep them from harm, and that includes reading their mail.”  
I pursed my lips unhappily. “It was still rude.”  
“I don’t care if it was rude!” Hades raised her voice and the fire reacted the way it had at my outburst. “Be cross with me if you wish, but that is far, far better than you cursed to an eternity in the stars, or as a plant, or tricked to be condemned to Zeus’ bedchamber forever.” She released my wrist and moved away from me, putting the fire out with an annoyed glance. “As for your studies, I would let you meet every damned soul, spirit, daimon, and monster in this place and go into the depths of Tartarus to speak to your grandfather if you so wished it, but not before you have learned the ways of this realm and how to protect yourself.”  
“But I know how to—” Hades sharp glance cut me off.  
“I have no intention of keeping anything from you on purpose, Persephone. I just want you to be as prepared as you can be.” Hades rubbed one of her arms distractedly. “I admit, I am honored that you’re so interested in learning about my home.”  
I shrugged. “Well, I’m living here now, aren’t I?”  
“You never did tell me how you were feeling. Not well, I take it?”  
It was my turn to give her a pointed glare, but I sighed. “No.”  
“I hope you don’t feel guilty for Zeus’ actions in Eleusis.”  
“Zeus’ actions are his own doing. I may be the reason, but it is his choice for acting in such a way.” I paused. “What did he do to Eleusis? Athena didn’t mention in her letter.”  
“Hermes told me it was mostly destroyed.”  
I inhaled sharply. “The humans? The nymphs? Demeter?”  
“Your mother is in Olympus. I think Hermes told me Athena pulled her away before things got bad. I’m afraid I don’t know about any others, Persephone. Were you close with any of them?”  
“No, not really.” I played with the fabric of my peplos and continued numbly. “On the rare occasions I did visit Eleusis, I mostly stayed with the nymphs, but they came and went almost as frequently as the humans live and die.”  
Hades placed a hand on my shoulder and I jumped because I hadn’t heard her move. Instead of withdrawing her hand like she usually did, she pulled me into an embrace. “Persephone, do not blame yourself for his cruelty.”  
I pulled away from her stiffly. “I will not blame myself for that vile man’s actions. I am too furious to be mourning. Thank you, Hades, but I think I’d like to be alone now.”  
“As you wish. Just call if you need anything.” Hades was quick to leave me to my devices, but whether she was being kind or if she herself needed to go, I didn’t know.  
I tried to return to my studies but the words just blurred together, illegible, so I turned my attention to the still smoking ashes in the fireplace. The fire had been responding to my argument with Hades, though I didn’t know if all of it had been Hades’ doing or not. I leveled my gaze on the charred wood and put the same amount of concentration it took to grow flowers of my choosing from the earth, which wasn’t much, and the fire sprung back from the dead.  
I squealed in delight. I had never been able to do such a thing before because the powers of fire were mostly reserved for Hestia and Hephaestus, but I guessed the fireplace responded to the wishes of its users. I played around with the shape of the flames, twisting them to and fro, like seaweed in the ocean.  
By the time another person knocked on the door, flowers of fire were blooming in the hearth.  
“Persephone, what are you doing?” Hecate’s voice was slightly higher than usual.  
“I didn’t know the fireplace was enchanted. I thought the flowers were pretty.” I waved them away and the fire returned to its flickering, natural form.  
“Hades told me the news Hermes brought,” Hecate said tentatively, leaning against the door’s frame instead of coming inside the room.  
“I’d rather not talk about it.”  
“Hades also told me to bring these.” Hecate pushed the door open to reveal a cart full of old scrolls, books, and parchment.  
I raised my eyebrows. “Are they…”  
“Yes, yes!” Hecate waved her hand and the cart rolled inside the room by itself. “Everything written about the darker bits of the Underworld. Hades told me I also have to answer any questions you ask.”  
“Don’t sound so enthused, friend.” I chuckled as I stood and sifted through the texts.  
“She really cares for you, you know.”  
I kept my eyes on the cart. “I know.”  
“Whatever you said to her today must have changed her opinion about you. She puts much faith in you by giving you these to read. There are secrets that could be used against us.”  
“You know I would never do such a thing to all of you.”  
“Perhaps, but we have only known you for a week. I just hope you realize the significance of this.”  
I looked up to address her in a more convincing manner, but Hecate was gone and the door was closed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected guest joins Persephone in the Underworld and Persephone overhears an interesting conversation.

I was confident enough with the layout of Hades’ palace to be able to navigate from my rooms to the kitchens, the grand library, and my reading room without needing to look at Hades’ maps. I was returning from the kitchens, cup of tea and a book in hand, to my reading room when I noticed the door was already open. Markos stood in the center of the room, looking at the reading material cluttered on every available surface with nothing short of contempt.  
“Oh, what are you doing here?”  
“I live here, my lady.” Markos sighed heavily, using the title as more of an insult than anything.  
I smiled, all teeth. “As do I.”  
“Don’t remind me.”  
“I see you’re in fine form today, Markos.” I raised an eyebrow. “Why are you here?”  
“You’ve been summoned.”  
“Where to?”  
“The Hall of Judgement.”  
“I didn’t know where I resided in the Underworld was a matter needing to be discussed. Am I being moved?” I chuckled at my joke, but I was genuinely intrigued as to why I was being formally summoned. It hadn’t happened before and I hadn’t visited the Hall yet.  
“I wish.”  
“How will I get there?”  
Instead of answering, Markos glanced behind me and I turned to look. Hypnos was leaning against the wall in the hallway.  
“Hecate is indisposed, so I get this honor.” He held out his hand for me. “We need to get going.”  
I looked at the book and the cup in my hand. “Well, I guess you’ll have to take care of these for me, Markos. Have a splendid time.” I placed them on a nearby table and took Hypnos’ arm.  
Markos just sighed heavily as we left but when we were out of hearing range, Hypnos laughed. “Oh, I love how you torment him. It gives him a taste of his own medicine.”  
“Do you know what this is about?”  
“Just that Hades needs you at the Hall. Let’s not keep her waiting very long, shall we?”  
I made polite conversation with him, asking him about his dream children, while we quickly walked through the palace. When I asked how many Oneiroi there were, he chuckled nervously and blushed.  
“Quite a few.”  
“What about your brother?”  
“Thanatos? He doesn’t have any children. Why do you ask?”  
“Just curious.” I figured if Hypnos had so many children, his brother would have just as many.  
“Are you interested in my brother’s sexual pursuits? Why him? Is it the hair? I could change it if you wanted.”  
I shoved him away from me. “Oh, Gods, the both of you are ridiculous. Give it a rest already, would you?”  
He just laughed as he opened the front door for me. I hurried through but once my feet were on the ground and the plants began to grow, I paused and grudgingly held out my hand for him to take. He wasted no time and in an instant, we were in front of the Hall of Judgment.  
It was a grand structure, worthy of the name. Countless columns towered into the sky above us to hold up a heavy stone roof.  
“Quit marveling at the grandeur and let’s go inside. I’m sure you’ll be here again.” Hypnos tugged on my hand. “I don’t like to keep Hades waiting. She’s a very busy woman.”  
The inside of the Hall was even more magnificent, columns gilded with silver and gold, mosaics made from only vibrant gemstones, three simple thrones sitting side by side, and a single throne on a platform behind them. One of the three thrones held Aeacus, so I could only gather that the other spirits were Minos and Rhadamanthus, the other two judges. A woman with pale blonde hair was standing on the platform, speaking to the figure wearing a black jeweled robe that was sitting on the high throne.  
Hades moved when she noticed our presence. “Persephone, you’re here! Rhadamanthus, Minos, this is Persephone, goddess of plants. I believe you and Aeacus have already met.”  
“Nice to see you again, Aeacus.”  
“You’re looking much better, my lady.”  
“Hecate, what are you doing here? I thought you were too busy to take Persephone.” Hypnos narrowed his eyes.  
Hecate smiled. “I was.”  
“Then why are you here now? You could have easily taken her. Not that I mind, of course, Persephone. Your very presence is a gift.” Hypnos tried to assure me, as if he thought he was hurting my feelings. “It’s just that I was in the midst of an engagement with one of the Lampades that I had to rudely cut short.”  
“Oh, I was well aware of that, Hypnos.” Hecate laughed and even Hades chuckled at Hypnos’ cross expression.  
“Hades, why was I summoned?”  
“Oh, right. Aeacus, if you would.” She nodded to him.  
He waved his hand and a spirit appeared in front of us. “This woman is from Eleusis and she has some interesting things to say.”  
The spirit turned around but even without corporeal form, I could tell she was a nymph from the near-perfection of her features. She bowed deeply when she saw me. “My lady, you may not remember me, but my name is Daeira. I was in the following of your mother’s when you were a child and only recently came back to Eleusis.”  
“You died because of Zeus, didn’t you?” I whispered, my hands shaping into fists by my sides. The braziers and torches lining the hall dimmed considerably.  
“When Eleusis was destroyed, I was destroyed with it. Many of us were, but that is not your fault. We would all gladly die for you, my lady.”  
“That is not something I want, Daeira,” I snapped. “Why are you not enjoying the rest of your afterlife? Why have you petitioned for something else?”  
“Your mother wanted me to find you, to make sure you were okay.”  
“My mother…” I started slowly, but stilled with realization and rage. “Demeter sent you to die?”  
The fires jumped, lurching our shadows further away from us, but quieted with a forced gaze from Hecate.  
“It wasn’t like that, my lady!” Daeira exclaimed, but shrunk away from the sight of my anger. “She wanted to make sure you were safe from him and…”  
“It was precisely what she did. She sent you to your death, just for me. She is no better than the man I have to call my father.” I was seething, unable to contain my emotions even in front of my audience. “I wish I could return just to kill her myself.”  
Daeira gasped. “My lady, surely you don’t mean that about the Great Mother…”  
I laughed harshly at the epithet. “Great Mother? She couldn’t even be my mother.”  
“Persephone…” Hades murmured softly as she slipped off her throne, but looked to the others. “Leave us. Daeira can stay.”  
The spirit judges disappeared into smoke but Hecate and Hypnos had to walk out. Hypnos squeezed my shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Persephone, parental issues are not uncommon with us.”  
Hades waited until they were both gone before speaking again. “Persephone, you should keep better control of your emotions, if you can’t control the fires at the very least. Both Hecate and I had to control them, which, in other circumstances, would be admirable.”  
“You shouldn’t keep so many around then.”  
“Ah, yes, because you would rather have us live in complete darkness most of the time until we grew eyes like owls.” Hades shook her head. “I understand that you’re upset about this but there’s nothing you can do now.”  
“But…”  
“You can’t very well march right back to the mortal world with Daeira and you know that. Daeria, forgive me for being so blunt, but she is dead. There is nothing you can do about that now, Persephone.”  
I let out a heavy sigh, my shoulders falling. “What am I supposed to do then?”  
“Nothing.”  
“Then why am I even here?”  
“Demeter sent me to look after you, my lady, in any way I can.” Daeira bowed again.  
“I don’t need a keeper.”  
“Not a keeper, my lady, no! A servant.”  
“I don’t need one of those, either.”  
Daeira frowned and looked to Hades, but Hades clearly didn’t know what to do and she sighed too. “Persephone, I think it would be a good idea to have someone else around.”  
“And let Markos off the hook? I don’t think so.”  
“As your companion, then.” She gave me a hard look that meant it wasn’t just a suggestion.  
I growled and let one of the braziers flare dramatically.  
“Come now, Persephone, don’t throw a tantrum. Go home. I believe Hypnos is still outside eavesdropping.”  
Faintly, I heard, “hey!”  
I turned on my heel and left without saying anything else, realizing defeat. Daeira trailed behind me silently. I reminded myself the defeat was not with Hades, that she had not done anything, but with Zeus and Demeter. Even down in the Underworld, they managed to find ways to hurt me.  
Before I had completely exited the Hall, Hades started talking to someone. “Minos, bring the others back and continue on with the souls without me. I apologize for the setback but I have to visit the Moirai.”  
“Of course, my lord.”  
I wondered why Hades needed to visit the Fates, the three goddesses who represented fate and destiny. I had heard of my family consulting with them in times of need, summoning them to Olympus, and had forgotten they resided here.  
“I see we have another guest,” Hypnos said as I rounded one of the outside columns with Daeira.  
“As if you didn’t hear already.”  
“So, do you want to go back to Hades’ palace?”  
“You’re making it sound as if I have a choice.”  
“You do. You could come home with me and…”  
“In your dreams, Hypnos.” I laughed at him.  
“I didn’t mean it as in invitation for sex, you perverted woman. I meant as a visit. You could meet my children!”  
“Will there be wine?”  
“There can be.”  
I moved my shoulders as I debated with myself, sighing as I made my decision. “Fine. I’ll need it.” I held out my hand to Daeira. “Come on.”  
When she placed her ghostly hand in mine, it felt normal, except for the fact it was cold. I suppose I didn’t know what a spirit would feel like, but normal wasn’t it. Hypnos gently grabbed my other arm and whisked us away to his palace. It was, naturally, beautiful, made of different shades of gray stone, with gemstones of deep, rich colors highlighting certain intricately carved aspects of the architecture. What was more distracting was the man and the woman arguing in front of the doors.  
The man, glowing with immortality, turned to us. “Ah, good, Father. You’re home. Please explain to Alecto that you were actually out. She doesn’t believe me.”  
The woman was also an immortal, with a shock of dark red hair, more the color of wine than of wood. Though beautiful and feminine, she had a hardened look about her, from the shape of her toned calves and arms, like Athena or the other goddesses related to battle. She turned to us with an eyebrow raised. “Morpheus is telling the truth for once? I thought you had your son out here covering for you like a coward.”  
Hypnos unwounded his arm from mine and plastered on a hurtful expression. “I would never do such a thing.”  
“You have before.”  
“Why are you here, Alecto?”  
I racked my brain for information relating to her name, knowing I had seen it in my studies recently. Alecto was one of the Erinyes, the Furies, goddesses of vengeance. I believe they could be called on to punish those who broke oaths.  
“I have some free time and was going to take you up on that offer for…” Her eyes flicked to me and Daeira. “An engagement, if you weren’t too busy already shacking up with some nymph.”  
“I don’t know if my son explained, but Hades needed me to escort Persephone to the Hall of Judgment.” He nodded towards me.  
Alecto’s eyes lightened. “So, you’re Hades’ new guest? I was wondering when our paths would finally cross. Everyone has been talking about you.”  
“Everyone? I admit that makes me nervous.”  
“We’re just curious about you. After all, given the fuss they’re making upstairs in the mortal world, who wouldn’t be? You are quite beautiful,” her eyes swept me up and down. “Are you spoken for?”  
“Oh, Gods, now I have to compete with you, too?”  
Alecto looked between us as I laughed at him. “I don’t think Persephone is the least bit interested in you, Hypnos. You’d be better off attempting to woo some nymphs.”  
“What makes you say that?”  
Alecto gave me a slow, sensuous smile. “Call it a woman’s intuition.”  
I admit that I blushed, deeply. Alecto was certainly beautiful and I hadn’t ever had another woman interested in me before. “No, I’m not spoken for.”  
“Who’s this, then?” Alecto nodded to Daeira, who was standing behind me silently. “Surely not a soul escaped from wherever she was supposed to go?”  
“No, this is Daeira. She’s…” I sighed before begrudgingly continuing, “my companion.”  
“Interesting.”  
“Alecto, you can continue with your questions inside instead of keeping us out here all night.”  
“I suppose that’s preferable. Where did your bastard son go? Cleaning up evidence?”  
“For the last time, Alecto, please quit calling Morpheus a bastard. It hurts his feelings. Persephone, I hope Alecto’s terrible manners don’t rub off on you.” Hypnos opened the door for us and Daeira followed dutifully behind me.  
Although made of stone like the rest of the architecture in the Underworld, Hypnos’ palace had a surprisingly comfortable feel to it. Most of the floors were covered in plush rugs that would give way under the weight of my steps, torches were sparse so it was dimly lit, and different hallways and doorways were sectioned off with gauzy curtains, the effect making his home look whimsical. Different people walked languidly between rooms, disappearing between fabrics.  
“It’s nice here.”  
“You think so? I’m happy you like it.” Hypnos turned away from me and his voice started to carry through the house. “Children, if you aren’t too busy, there are a couple guests I would like you to meet.”  
Slowly, the entrance hall started to fill up with people, all men, though of varying ages, but all of them were nearly identical to Hypnos. Some had darker skin, others had softer features, and several had more normal shades of hair color. Most were fully developed so their age was indeterminable, but a few were clearly young boys, and even children.  
Lips brushed against my ear and I forced myself to not jerk away from them. “Isn’t it strange?” Alecto chuckled and moved away from me.  
“Very.”  
Hypnos ushered to one of his sons. “As you saw outside, this is Morpheus, my eldest.”  
He nodded. “I’m the leader of the Oneiroi and the god of dreams.”  
Another son stepped forward. “I’m Phobetor, god of nightmares and people in prophetic dreams. You can call me Icelos if you want.”  
A third moved away from the rest. “I’m Phantasos, god of surreal dreams and inanimate objects in prophetic dreams.”  
“It’s nice to meet you, and all the rest of you, as well!” I added as I leaned around Morpheus to address the rest of his siblings.  
“This is Lady Persephone and her friend, Daeira. I expect a warm welcome. Someone fetch the wine.”  
“Oh, it’s that kind of gathering, is it? I’m glad I came.”  
A goblet of wine was given to me by one of the Oneiroi, which I drank completely in four gulps. “Give me three more.”  
“My lady…” Daeira started softly, the first time she had spoken since we left. I ignored her.  
Everyone around me looked more than a little shocked at my requests, and even more so when I drank the next two in the same way. I kept the fourth goblet to sip on.  
Morpheus eyed me carefully. “I have to admit, that’s a little impressive for a woman of your stature.”  
“I’m an Olympian, remember?” I grinned as I continued, “and I’ve had a bad day.”  
Everyone except Daeira laughed, but all too quickly she was whisked away from me by a few curious Oneiroi and most of us went our separate ways, though Alecto followed me to a secluded corner, hidden by curtains, to sit with me on a lounge.  
“Why have you been hiding in the shadows of Hades’ place?”  
“I haven’t been hiding. It’s just that social gatherings aren’t my favorite type of events. I much prefer the quiet, especially after my time in Olympus.”  
“What do you rule over?” Alecto eyed me carefully. Gods and goddesses usually reflected their domains and what they ruled. Poseidon’s eyes were blue like the sea, Zeus’ eyes were gray like storm clouds, and even Hades had dark hair and eyes to reflect the Underworld.  
“Plants and flowers, mostly. Nothing very interesting.”  
“You look more athletic that, if you don’t mind me saying so. I hope that wasn’t an insult. I didn’t mean it as one.” Alecto chuckled nervously and sipped her wine.  
“Oh, no! I’m not insulted at all. I was raised in Olympus without my mother’s influence and a bunch of my siblings helped raise me, including Athena and Artemis. They trained me how to fight.”  
“That was very wise of them. You should go a few rounds with me sometime.”  
“And what do you mean by that?” I raised my eyebrows as I took a drink of my wine.  
“It can mean anything you want it to mean, Persephone.” Alecto purred suggestively and I coughed on the wine I was drinking. “I was right, though, wasn’t I? You prefer the company of women?”  
“Yes.”  
“So is that little nymph your…” Alecto arched an eyebrow as she trailed off.  
“Daeira? Gods, no. She’s part of the reason I’m drinking to temporarily forget my problems.”  
“What happened?”  
“I’d rather not talk about it, but essentially she died to serve me. I don’t need people to serve me, or to die for me. I’m not very pleased about her following me, but Hades thinks it is a good idea.”  
“It’s a great honor to be worshiped enough for people to die for you, and kill for you, you know.” Alecto mused as she sat back in the lounge, closer to me this time.  
“Are you worshiped that way?”  
“Me? No, I just kill people.”  
I laughed at how blunt her comment was.  
“What about men? Do you like men, too?”  
“No, I have no interest in them,” I admitted.  
“I knew it. Hypnos really would be better off trying to woo the Styx.”  
“Indeed.”  
“So, aren’t you lonely, locked away in Hades’ palace with Hades gone all the time?”  
“Maybe,” I admitted softly.  
“Maybe usually means yes in this aspect.”  
“I don’t mind being alone at all. I prefer it, in fact, but going from Olympus to this so suddenly was… different. I’m still trying to adjust.”  
“I could help with that, you know.” Alecto watched me evenly as she lowered her mouth to my shoulder.  
Before I could give it any thought, I leaned over and kissed her on the mouth. For a moment, it was simply nice; she tasted of the same wine that was already in my mouth and her lips were soft and inviting, but then my thoughts caught up to me. When I closed my eyes, I imagined I was not kissing Alecto, but Hades, and then I wondered why I was doing this when my irrational heart clearly belonged to another. After all, it was Hades I dreamed of every single night since our first meeting in Olympus.  
But it was Alecto who stiffened and pulled away quickly, eyes wide. “I shouldn’t have done that. I should have known.”  
“What’s wrong?”  
“I can taste a sacred oath on you.” Alecto stood abruptly. “I should go.”  
I didn’t want to think about what had just happened or what Alecto had meant, so I finished the rest of my wine and went searching for more. I found Daeira in between two of the Oneiroi, batting her eyelashes and giggling like a young girl. I admit I did find it amusing that even after she was dead, typical nymph behavior didn’t cease. Behind gauzy curtains I had spied other nymphs, which I could only assume were some of Hecate’s Lampades, with the more mature Oneiroi, in various stages of undress.  
A passing Oneiroi refilled my cup without me having to ask and moved on before I had the chance to thank him.  
My head was spinning from the wine that had finally caught up to me as I wandered around aimlessly through the halls, the sheer fabric swaying in a nonexistent breeze and cutting off my view of seeing anything clearly. Every now and then I’d see a flash of skin, and then it would be gone, as if everyone here were ghosts or mere mirages. Distantly and faintly, slow music played to deepen the trance. The effects made everything appear like a surreal dream, too soft and unearthly to be real.  
I eventually collapsed onto some balcony, of which I was only faintly aware because of the cool breeze on my face. I wasn’t aware of much else for awhile after.  
I only remembered a brief flash of a soft voice saying, “Oh, Persephone…” followed by me being picked up and cradled against a chest covered with a jeweled himation.  
I woke up in my room in Hades’ palace, with Daeira watching anxiously from one of the lounges.  
“I’m rather uncomfortable at the thought of you watching me sleep, Daeira.” I groaned as I stretched, but didn’t get out of bed. The sheets were too warm to not enjoy longer.  
“I’m afraid Hades isn’t too pleased with me, my lady.”  
“Oh?”  
“For leaving you alone when we were with Hypnos.”  
“I hope she doesn’t expect you to be with me every second of the day, because if so, I’ll march you right up to Elysium or wherever you’re supposed to go, and deposit you into your afterlife myself.”  
Daeira smiled though I could tell she didn’t want to. “Hades was very worried about you.”  
“Well, a god can’t drink themselves to death, so she doesn’t need to worry about that.”  
“No, I guess not, though I think she was more concerned as to why you did it. I can tell she wants you to be happy, my lady.”  
“Ordering me around is not the way to do that.”  
“You know, it’s quite nice here.” Daeira looked around the suite quickly. “I am very surprised.”  
“About everything? Yeah, I was as well. Hades being a woman, all the people here, the palaces, everything. It’s a lot more beautiful than I thought it would be.”  
“There isn’t a sun here, is there? I’m already starting to miss it.”  
“We get sunlight every few days, when Hemera visits Nyx. There’s absolutely gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. Hades has shown me them. I guess you’ll get to see them next time it happens.”  
“That sounds nice.”  
I didn’t say anything for awhile, staring at the fireplace while thinking about recent events. “Are you angry that you died?”  
“I was not ready to die, no, but that is the way of things, usually.”  
“Did you have a family?”  
“Once. It seems so long ago.”  
“With who? A mortal man? Did he die?”  
“No, not a mortal man. I had a son, with Hermes, and our son was Eleusis.”  
“You and my brother? Gross.” Daeira laughed at my remark but I continued. “He was the king of Eleusis, wasn’t he? That’s how it got its name?”  
“Yes.”  
“Aren’t you mad that my mother sent you to die? I am.”  
“She didn’t send me to die, my lady. You misinterpreted my words yesterday.”  
“Then what happened?”  
“Before Athena took your mother away, she asked me to search for you and she meant the Earth. She did not know you were here. I couldn’t get out of Eleusis in time and, well, fate has a funny way of turning out, doesn’t it? I found you regardless. Here, of all places, is the last place anyone would suspect.”  
“I know. That’s why I’m here.” I sighed heavily before looking at her. “I apologize for not understanding you yesterday, Daeira, and for being rude. This entire experience has been very trying for me. I wish it would end and I could be free to do what I wished, without fear looming over my shoulder.”  
“Would you leave, if it was safe?”  
“I… I don’t know, honestly.” I was taken aback by the question. “You have seen parts of what the Underworld is like, you have met Hades and Hypnos and some of the others. Do you notice how kind and welcoming they are?”  
“I have.”  
“I don’t know if I’d want to leave. Certainly not forever. I have not known them long but they have already left imprints on my soul.”  
“It’s funny how certain people can do that, isn’t it? Be in your life for only the blink of an eye, but stay in your heart forever.”  
“Well, I hope they stay longer in my life than just the blink of an eye.”  
“Because you are happy with them, I hope so, too.”  
“But Markos, on the other hand, is a bastard. He’s grumpy and he’s rude. Have you met him?”  
“I have,” Daeira answered, her eyes shining with amusement.  
“I’ve made it a personal mission to bother him as much as possible. Feel free to join the cause.”  
“I’ll keep it in mind.”  
“Is Hades in? Do you know where she is?”  
“I believe she’s in her quarters. Do you want me to go with you?”  
“No, thank you for offering, though. That reminds me, Daeira, please, I want you to go do things you actually want to do. If you want to visit the Oneiroi again, go do it. You don’t have to be at my side every second, and I would feel rather guilty about it.”  
“But…”  
“I know my mother had a following of nymphs and handmaidens with her at all times, but that was not how I was raised. I took care of myself and I still can. So, please, be my friend instead of my servant.” I changed into a black peplos while she grumbled unhappily, but when I left, she didn’t follow.  
I felt happy by the fact I could navigate myself to Hades’ chambers, despite them being quite far and several complex hallways and stairwells away. As I neared them, I heard voices and slowed my pace.  
Hecate’s voice carried quite well through the stone hallway. “She has only been in the Underworld for a month. That is simply not enough time for that affinity, or any affinity, to develop…”  
Hades’ voice was muffled and I had to strain to listen to her. “Then what do you possibly think is happening?”  
“You saw the Fates. What did they tell you?”  
“What did the Fates tell you?”  
“They told me things you already knew about and decided to keep from the rest of us, her included.”  
“It wasn’t important at the time.”  
“And it isn’t now? Why haven’t you told her, Hades?”  
“Do you really think telling her now would help her situation at all?”  
“You’re being selfish, Hades. She should know. We should have known. Why didn’t you tell us? We’re your family.”  
Hades said something else but it was too quiet to hear, but then I heard footsteps. I quickly hid behind a corner in another long hallway until they faded into the distance.  
I waited for several more minutes, not for fear of being discovered, but debating with myself if I wanted to see Hades after what I had just heard. They were undoubtedly talking about me, though I had no idea what affinity they were talking about. Hades had her secrets, everyone did, but secrets about me were secrets not to be kept from me.  
I wanted to know what they meant, what Hecate could have been so upset about, but Hades was clearly not inclined to tell me and Hecate was obligated to follow Hades’ commands.  
I decided to visit her anyways and keep my shred of new knowledge to myself. I knocked on the wall to announce my presence and found Hades in her bedroom, reclining on the lounge in front of the fireplace. “Good morning, Hades.”  
“Oh, hello, Persephone! Come, sit.” She moved over to make sure I had enough space. “How are you feeling?”  
I sat next to her and she threw a blanket over my lap that was already warm to the touch. “I feel fine.”  
“I want to ask you something, and I’d like for you to be honest about it.”  
I immediately grew suspicious, and partly hopeful that she was going to explain her argument with Hecate. “Sure.”  
“Are you happy here?”  
“What kind of question is that? Of course I’m happy here.”  
“Happy enough to drink yourself into a stupor, then.” Hades pursed her lips unhappily but turned her attention to the fire.  
“You know exactly why I did that.” I paused to gather my thoughts before continuing. “I am happy here, with you, with all of you, but I am not happy that the gods are killing mortals and destroying cities in my name.”  
“Very well.”  
“You mean the world to me, Hades. I hope you don’t think I am taking your hospitality and kindness for granted.” Her hand was lying idly between us and I wanted to hold it, but thought better of it.  
“Oh, no, Persephone. Just your company is more than enough to repay me. After all, it’s not like it was difficult to make room for you.” Hades chuckled at her joke. “Hecate told me you can control the flames well. As long as you be very careful, can you show me? Flames are much harder to control once they’ve started eating away at flammable material.”  
“If you’d like,” I said and turned to the hearth. With a wave of my hand, vines of flame sprouted from the charred logs and curled around the mantel until they bloomed into flowers.  
“That’s amazing. Can you do anything else?”  
“I haven’t really done anything else, but I suppose I could try. Oh, that reminds me.”  
“Yes?”  
“When you have free time, would you be willing to spar with me?”  
“What?”  
“You know, fight and train?” I paused. “Alecto brought it up that it would be a good idea to just practice every so often and I figured you would be a fun new partner.”  
“It has been ages for me, but yes, I can do that if you’d like.” Hades yawned deeply. “I’m exhausted, so maybe not today. Soon, I swear it. Now, show me some other fire things.”  
It took me awhile before I could make anything else, what with how Hades’ thigh and shoulder were pressing against mine until it was hard to concentrate on anything except that, but when I was finally able to properly shape and animate what were supposed to be Hades’ horses after much trial and error, she murmured small noises of appreciation and leaned on me even more.  
By the time I was able to shape a crude depiction of Cerberus, Hades was sleeping, her head resting against my shoulder. My heart was hammering at the proximity of her, how her long hair was splayed behind her and how she seemed to be curled around me. While her chest rose and fell rhythmically, I could barely breathe. I was so bold that I reached over and swept a lock of black hair away from her lovely face and behind her ear.  
I wished I could spend forever like this, how I wanted to curl up beside her and fall asleep in front of the fireplace with her in my arms. I stayed for as long as I could before realizing falling back asleep after a full rest was going to be impossible. Achingly, I slid off the lounge, placed a pillow under her head, and wrapped her up in the blanket.  
I watched her sleep for several more moments, the light of the fireplace illuminating her peaceful face in an amber glow. With my heart pounding so loudly I could hear it in my ears, I leaned down and kissed her hair.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hades leaves the palace to attend to her duties in Tartarus and Persephone is left alone to hone her newfound skills.

“Okay,” I started, panting as I was doubled over and resting my hands on my knees. “If I win this one, you have to abandon your duties for an entire day and take me somewhere interesting.”  
“And what would you like to do if I win?” Hades laughed breathlessly, the sound echoing around the training room that was hidden in the depths of the palace.  
There were a lot of things I’d like to do with Hades, or to Hades, but I didn’t dare say that. “That’s entirely up to you.”  
Hades thought for a moment and watched me, taking in my sweaty and tired appearance. “You’ll have to accompany me with my duties and see how positively boring it is.”  
“That’s more than fair.”  
I didn’t know what I had originally expected of Hades’ fighting abilities, but she was nearly as trained as Athena was. We had been sparring for several hours and I was exhausted, though I had bested or tied with Hades several times.  
Lately, I had taken to spending as much time with Hades as was possible, because I was able to dismiss Daeira without much argument. Though I had certainly grown to like Daeira, there was only so much constant supervision I could take. She reminded me of what a mortal mother would be like, how she watched over me and scolded me when I engaged in risky behavior.  
She absolutely hated when I played with fire in the fireplaces or torches, but there was nothing she could do except watch in horror and fear that I would burn the palace down, though I assured her most of it was made of stone and I doubted the fire would do much of anything.  
I had gained even more control since the day in Hades’ bedroom and I could now make fire depictions of people. One of Daeira’s favorites was when I would make a flame Markos that would soundlessly yell until his head grew too large and exploded. My favorite was my Hades, which would slowly dance to unheard music and when I was alone, I’d make a miniature of me dance with her.  
Every time I saw Hades, my heart somehow fluttered and ached at the same time. I had grown so attached to her, hung on her every word and movement, and I was acutely aware of how irrational it was. I was haunted by guilt every time I woke up in the middle of the night after a dream of her because I thought she deserved better than to be thought of in such a way.  
Hades offered me a cup of water that pulled me from the increasingly depressing thoughts while we rested before the final match. I was tempted to just pour it directly onto my chest, but resigned myself to drinking it like a dignified person.  
“You fight a lot better than I thought you would, Persephone. Athena must have been vigorous with her training.”  
I laughed, thinking back to all the early mornings and late nights with Athena guiding my limbs into proper formations and stances, her patience as she had to show me the forms again and again, and how once I was old enough, she finally fought with me. “Yeah, she never did pull too many punches for me.”  
“It’s worth it, though. It brings me joy knowing you can defend yourself should the need ever arise. I hope it doesn’t and that you can stay safe here, with me, forever.” Hades turned away before she finished, her voice quiet.  
“Forever?” I echoed, her words bringing a glimmer of hope for my lost cause. “You know, Daeira once asked me if I would ever leave if given the chance for it to be safe.”  
“What did you say?”  
“What do you think I said? I could never leave this place, not forever. I care for you too much to do such a thing, as well as the rest of your family.”  
“Our family,” Hades corrected quickly.  
I didn’t bother arguing with her. Regardless of what she thought, I was still just a guest, and my time in the Underworld, nearing two months, only proved my point.  
Hades took my hand in hers suddenly and I sucked in a quick breath as I looked at her. Hades only stood and pulled me with her, saying, “Let’s finish this last match before I collapse of exhaustion.”  
I was crestfallen, but the possibility of Hades taking an entire day away from her duties as ruler of the realm to spend time with me lifted my spirits.  
Then the same dance we had been doing for hours began again, and I couldn’t say I didn’t enjoy it: footwork perfectly placed, movements perfectly timed, metal clanging as it stuck shield and sword, damp cloth clinging to skin, and Hades’ body colliding with mine as we tried to match blow for blow.  
I lunged at Hades when I saw an opening, but she blocked my sword at the last moment and pushed forward, throwing me off balance. All it took was a moment before she tripped me and I fell backwards, my shield clattering away as I landed on the ground.  
Hades grinned as she stood above me, her sword at my throat.  
I could feel the body heat radiating out of her leg, pinpointing its exact location. Without looking down, I hooked my foot around her calf and pulled.  
Her eyes widened but it was too late. She fell forward and had to abandon her sword and shield to free her hands. She caught her fall roughly, with her hands on either side of me.  
I glanced down at the invisible space between our bodies, her chest heaving against my own and chafing the fabrics of our chitons, and how her knee was between my thighs. Achingly, I brought my eyes up to her face and stared at how her lips were slightly parted, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at her eyes.  
I had to win.  
With my free hand, I grabbed her waist and felt her inhale sharply above me, flipping us over. I held her down with my knee between her thighs, pinning the fabric of her chiton to the ground, my free hand moved to hold one of her arms above her head, and my sword went to her throat. Only then did I let myself look into her eyes.  
They were wide, and Hades was still breathing heavily. My face was so close to hers that I could feel her breaths puff against my cheeks. “I seem to be in a very compromising position.”  
“You do,” I agreed softly, threw my sword away, and removed my hand from her wrist, but I was watching how her lips moved to form the words. I could have easily leaned forward to close the small space between us, how my heart hammered in my chest not from exertion, but from her and how badly I wanted to kiss her, to show what my words of caring and gratitude meant. “I won.”  
Hades made no move to get away from me, because she was watching me, too. “What if I let you win?”  
I felt Hades’ fingertips skim up the skin of my thigh lightly and settle on my hip, the pressure of them burning holes into my very being. I moved my hand to touch Hades’ hair and then her collarbone to feel her pulse racing under my touch. I thought about feeling her pulse with my mouth instead of my fingers, I wanted so badly to place my lips against her flawless skin and taste her like I had so many times in my dreams. I leaned forward with every intention of finally kissing her, but I tore myself away from her.  
“I would say thank you, but say that I would have gladly accompanied you to your duties.”  
Hades sighed as she stood and stretched. “Well, that was quite fun, wasn’t it?”  
“Have any ideas where you’re going to take me?” I poured water into cups for the both of us and offered one to Hades.  
She smiled over the edge of the cup at me. “A few.”  
“I’m intrigued.”  
“It’s going to be a surprise, and don’t think I’ll cave and tell you.”  
I laughed. “I’m sure you won’t.”  
“Were you being serious about wanting to accompany me to…”  
“Of course I was. I’m new, and I still find everything interesting.”  
“I’m sure the experience will be enlightening for you, then.” Hades threw back her head and laughed. “Come, let’s rinse off the sweat.”  
“Where?” I asked quickly, a small part of me thinking she might be taking me back to her room.  
“There’s a washroom the next room over.” She nodded in its direction.  
“Do you have everything in this palace of yours?” I chuckled and shook my head slowly.  
“Probably, and twice over, too,” Hades laughed again. “What can I say? It gets boring here and Hestia gives good advice for construction, though I like to think after all my practice I’ve become an adept architect.”  
“At creating mazes, maybe,” I teased, but followed her into a bathhouse.  
It was dim, with only a few torches lining the room, but it was warm. The bath itself was a long rectangular pool, but in the dim light it looked black, so the depth was indeterminable. The water was bubbling and steam wafted to the ceiling, making the room look hazy. There was a pile of towels and fresh clothes neatly piled on a table that had more food and drink.  
“I see you came prepared.”  
“I had Markos and Daeira arrange everything this morning. Do you like it?”  
“It’s wonderful!”  
While I had been looking around the room, Hades had started taking off her chiton. I gasped silently and turned my face away immediately. Hades hadn’t seen me because her pale back and everything below it was turned to me.  
“Persephone?” Her question forced me to look back at her and I had to concentrate very hard at just looking at her face. “This doesn’t bother you, does it? I thought it was common in Olympus.”  
I felt like I could barely breathe so I croaked, “No, it doesn’t bother me.”  
In fact, it did practically everything except bother me.  
My throat and my chest felt like they were being crushed by invisible forces as I had to watch Hades step into the bath. Internally, I felt like screaming and, distantly, I thought that must be what dying feels like.  
“Aren’t you going to get in?” Hades sat on some invisible bench under the surface of the pool. It made the water come up to her throat, but the water wasn’t as opaque as I thought it had been.  
“Yes, just give me a moment.” I snapped into forced action as I busied myself with drinking more water and eating a couple pieces of fruit.  
The damp fabric of my chiton clung to my skin as I peeled it off, internally cursing myself at my situation. The last thing I wanted was for Hades to see my naked body and how it responded to her without my consent, but I couldn’t avoid it. I just slipped into the bath as quickly as possible.  
I wanted to avoid looking at Hades, but that was an impossible task when every fiber of my being sung in her presence. She lathered herself in soap and I watched as beads of water raced down her skin, how her bones shifted their angles as she moved, and how her hair was darker than a raven as it plastered itself to her shoulders and chest.  
“You’re being awfully quiet, Persephone. Is something wrong?” Hades asked when she was finished rinsing off.  
“I’m just tired, and sore.” I chuckled nervously as I busied myself with washing my hair.  
“Come here then.” Hades skimmed her hand across the top of the water next to her.  
“Why?”  
“You’re so resistant today, Persephone!” Hades laughed. “Just come here!”  
I swam over to her, previously having made sure there was quite a distance between us, apprehensively. I sat next to her quietly.  
Hades hummed a light chuckle and turned me away from her by my shoulders. I sat as still as a statue as I waited to realize what she was going to do. She fit her left leg between mine and the side of the pool and dangled her right off the edge of the smooth bench as she pulled me by my waist closer to her. I was painfully aware of the sensation of the inside of her thighs pressing onto my hips. She swept my hair away from my back and began kneading the muscles in my shoulders.  
I bit back a moan.  
This was somehow simultaneously every single fantasy and nightmare I had ever contemplated. I was between Hades’ thighs, naked, and she was touching me, but she had no idea how I felt about her.  
She rested her chin on my shoulder briefly, her chest pressed against my back. “Is this okay?”  
I wished my voice hadn’t sounded so strained when I answered her, but it did. “It’s… fine. Thank you.”  
Her deft hands moved down my spine, achingly slow, and as she spread her fingers across my upper back, her fingertips brushed against the side of my breast on accident.  
I inhaled sharply as my skin broke out into goosebumps, despite the heat of the bath, and the heat Hades and I were creating. This was exactly what I didn’t want to have happen and I was sure she noticed, though she didn’t say anything.  
I desperately tried to think of anything that could distract me from thinking of what I wanted to do to Hades, of how I wanted to turn around and press my lips to her mouth, to breathe her in and taste her tongue. My fingers ached to touch her skin instead of being balled into tight fists on my lap. I envisioned myself doing all those things, along with pushing her up against the side of the bath and kissing and tasting every inch of her until my soul no longer hurt.  
“Persephone, what are you thinking about?”  
“Nothing,” I replied, too quickly, but raised my hands in the air and pulled the fire from the nearest torch and suspended it above our heads as I broke it into several individual flames. Further concentration shaped them into candlesticks, complete with tiny flickering flames topping them.  
Hades rested her chin on my shoulder and sighed softly into my ear, unknowingly pressing her breasts to my back again. “You’re getting quite good at that, you know.”  
“I’ve been practicing.”  
“It takes quite a bit of concentration to be able to manipulate several separate flames.”  
“I’m aware of that,” I murmured breathlessly.  
Hades wrapped her arms around my waist securely, but her chin never moved from my shoulder. “This is nice, isn’t it?”  
I tried to relax into her, to let myself savor the feel of her body wrapped around mine. I loved this so much more than Hades probably knew. “Very nice,” I agreed, trying to maintain the candles. They were starting to waver.  
When I felt Hades remove her chin and press her lips into my shoulder, the shreds of concentration I had been clinging to were ripped away from me.  
The flames dropped into the water, except for the one in front of me that I reached out to catch.  
Hades cried, “Persephone, it will burn you!”  
I had already caught it, and it was circling in my palm harmlessly. I turned back to show her. “This fire doesn’t burn me.”  
She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes unhappily. “I don’t even want to know how you discovered that.”  
“Trial and error?” I laughed sheepishly.  
Before Hades could reply, there was a knock on the stone. “Lord Hades, my lady, Markos sent me down here to retrieve you.”  
Hades sighed. “Is it that time already? I was dreading this.”  
I flung the flame out of my hand and back onto the torch before helping Hades out of the bath and handing her a towel. “What do you have to do?”  
She spoke as she dried off her hair. “I have to visit the Hekatonkheires. It’s been awhile since I’ve met with them.”  
“Who are they?”  
“They are known as the Hundred-Handed Ones and are the guardians of Tartarus, giants more powerful than the Titans. Uranus had imprisoned them in Tartarus before our time and Cronus decided to keep them there when he came into power, but Zeus freed them. They fought with us during the Titanomachy and gladly accepted the position they were offered in Tartarus. I cannot blame them.”  
“One hundred hands?”  
“And fifty heads.”  
“How do they even fit?”  
Hades laughed at my comment and toweled off her skin, slipping into a black peplos that had been folded for her. “I’ve never quite seen them all, actually. It’s quite dark down there, as well as many other unpleasant adjectives. I dread visiting the place.”  
“Do you want me to…”  
“Absolutely not,” Hades cut me off immediately. “You know I don’t mean to keep anything from you, Persephone, but Tartarus is a terrible place and even I can hardly bear it. I don’t want you to see it, not yet.”  
I didn’t argue with her, but grabbed her hand before she left. “Please stay safe.”  
She squeezed my hand to assure me. “I always am, but I will make an effort to be even more careful, since you wish it.”  
“Thank you.”  
She slipped her hand from mine. “I had a lovely day with you, Persephone. I hope we can find the time to do it again.” She smiled, but instead of it being sweet, I thought there might have been something more as I heard her footsteps fading away into the distance.  
Daeira patiently waited for me to collect my thoughts and my belongings, before following me out. My skin was still burning from everywhere Hades had touched and my soul was singing because of it.  
* * *  
I couldn’t sleep.  
Every time I closed my eyes, I started to feel Hades lips pressing against my shoulder, or her thighs warm against mine, and saw her full breasts grazing the top of the rippling water as she moved and beckoned me closer.  
I threw back the covers suddenly and with a quick close of my fist, the fire in my hearth was put out. I even felt like I was on fire myself.  
Sleep was useless, not when my mind was too busy fantasizing about Hades one moment and worrying about her in the next. It had been several hours since she left and she still hadn’t returned.  
I decided to go for a walk, much like I used to do when I couldn’t sleep in Olympus. I slipped past Daeira’s room silently on my way to the kitchen, having made up my mind where I wanted to go.  
There was only one servant in the kitchens and they were startled to alertness when they saw me. “My lady!”  
“Hello, do you know if Hades’ took her horses?”  
“She didn’t take them, no. Would you like some apples for them?”  
“Yes, thank you very much.” I waited patiently for them as I recounted the way to navigate Hades’ palace to lead me to the stables.  
They handed me a full bag, which I thanked them for, and went on my way. The walk was certainly lonelier than it was when I was with Hades, but seeing the horses gave me great joy, especially when it seemed like they were happy to see me.  
I only took one of their apples to eat as I gave them the rest and stroked their sides. When they were done eating, I took them out and one of them let me ride on their back as they galloped across the barren hills of the Underworld. I wasn’t worried about where we were going because they knew the way back, and after a few hours, we returned. I slipped off its back but during my ride, I had started thinking about a problem.  
I hated how I had to be accompanied by one of the gods if I wanted to visit anywhere that wasn’t in walking distance of Hades’ palace, which, other than the stables, was everywhere. Usually it was either Hecate or Hypnos, and they never complained and actually thanked me for giving them an excuse to take a break from whatever duties they had, but I hated relying on people in such a way. I wanted to be able to travel where I wanted and when I wanted.  
If this place was to be my home, I’d rather it not be a prison.  
I began attempting to travel like the chthonic deities did. I closed my eyes, tried to concentrate on a certain place and will myself there, but nothing happened. I repeated this multiple times until I was ready to cry from frustration.  
I did not want to be a helpless flower child, condemned to grow plants that would just wither and die. I may have been Demeter’s daughter, but I was nothing like her. I was not weak as she had been. I had resisted, I had fought back, I had fled for my safety, things she had not been strong enough to do. How had she not been furious enough to even attempt to fight back?  
She fled Eleusis and condemned all of her followers to die by Zeus’ hand and was probably cowering under my sisters’ wings as she stood by and let the rest of our despicable family turn the world over to look for me, all for my disgusting father.  
Anger and rage bubbled up my throat until I wanted to scream. Even though I had distanced myself away from the stables to practice, I felt myself light the torches that were inside.  
Power started to itch under my skin, begging to be let loose. It reminded me of growing into my powers when I was young, as the gods had done before me. Some gods had interesting births, like Athena, who had been born as an adult, but I was born as a child like most of the gods. Those of us who were children at one point did not have grand divinity nor dominion over anything. We had immortality, yes, but our powers grew with us.  
I felt the power, something wild, dark, and completely different from my powers over life, coursing through my veins, mixing with my ichor, making me burn.  
Distantly, I heard the horses shifting uneasily.  
I closed my eyes and cleared my thoughts, simply focusing on the power that was gnawing through my flesh and an image of where I wanted to go. I felt the power break through whatever barrier that had been preventing it, an exhilarating mix of pain and pleasure that made me cry out.  
I opened my eyes to see darkness slithering up my legs, every touch and stroke sending a rush of energy through my body, but the darkness choked the life of the plants surrounding my feet until they shriveled and burst into flame. The darkness completely enveloped me, and when it faded away, I was near the front steps of Hades’ palace.  
I shrieked in joy and astonishment, of the freedom this power had gifted me with, and not caring if I woke the whole Underworld. I felt more alive than I ever had been before and it was certainly shocking to feel this much power. Is this how Zeus felt? Is this how Hades felt?  
I spun around laughing as I disappeared into darkness again and reappeared next to the stables. I practiced this for hours, going to Hades’ front door, to the gate of the Underworld, to Hecate’s home, to Hypnos’ palace, and back again, until my mind was weary.  
My body, on the other hand, felt like it could do that for days on end.  
When I went back to the stables to close the doors, every torch flared dangerously as I passed, which meant I was still letting off way too much power. I forced myself to stop and breathe and work on controlling it.  
The same thing happens to young gods when they finally develop their powers. It’s overwhelming and they teach us ways to control it and manage it. I focused on my breathing as I tried to compartmentalize it with my other power, though it strained under the surface, so I let it seep from my pores slowly, like I did with my gift of life. It eased the pressure greatly, though I noticed plants had stopped blooming under my feet.  
I transported myself back to the door near the stables, and crept quietly through the silent palace, noticing the torches only flared slightly in my presence. Daeira’s door was still closed, which was a good sign, and I was able to sneak into my room undetected. I slipped off my sandals and cleaned my feet to get rid of any evidence of my late night adventure, but I stopped when I passed the mirror.  
Something about my appearance had changed. I looked darker and sharper, somehow, though it could have just been the low light. It did not take any effort at all to summon a small orb of fire to illuminate my face in the mirror. Something was definitely different, though I couldn’t see precisely what it was. The insides of my irises had darkened, a new brown blending in with my previous green.  
How strange it was to look into a mirror and stare at eyes that have suddenly changed.  
I shook my head as I slipped back into bed. Though I was weary, I still couldn’t sleep, so I played with the flames of my torches, which no longer took any effort at all. I shaped them into different things like replicas of my new family, animals, stars, phases of the moon, and various flowers until I finally, finally drifted to sleep.  
I woke to Daeira watching me from a lounge. “Gods, Daeira! You know I hate that!”  
“You’ve slept in late.”  
“I couldn’t sleep last night.”  
“You should have gotten me. I could have…”  
“My sleeping schedule is none of your concern.”  
“How did you get the torches to do that?” She pointed to one of them, which was still in the formation of a hyacinth. “I’ve been trying to figure it out all morning.”  
I didn’t let it show, but I was just as shocked as she was. Shaping them had always required the attention of nearly my every waking thought and I had never been able to maintain shapes for long periods of time because of that. Certainly never when I went to sleep. I waved my hand as I got out of bed and the torches returned to normal. “Oh, you know…”  
Daeira eyed me up and down. “You look different.”  
“It’s probably because I didn’t get much sleep.”  
“No, you look better.”  
“Maybe I should sleep less, then,” I sighed heavily. “Daeira, enough questions! I’ve just woken up!”  
She muttered something under her breath unhappily, which I chose to ignore.  
“Has Hades returned yet?”  
“No, she hasn’t.”  
“Oh, well, I suppose I’ll just go to my reading room. I think I’ll read about Tartarus today.”  
I followed up on my pledge to spend time in my reading room. I gathered the texts I wanted and sat down in front of the fire to scan them, Daeira leaving to go do other things. She had deemed the reading room safe enough for me to be alone, but the solitude was mostly because I couldn’t bear having her look over my shoulder as I read. I suspended flame candles across the room to brighten it while I read about the Hekatonkheires.  
They were three Protogenoi, giant sons of Uranus and Gaia, that presided over storms and were named Briareos, Kottos, and Gyges. Like Hades had said, they had one hundred hands and fifty heads, but the hands were for wielding clouds and the heads were for the winds. Uranus had feared their appearance and their strength and locked them in Tartarus, where they stayed until Zeus freed them. They helped the Olympians win the war by throwing rocks as big as mountains at the Titans, one hundred at a time, to overwhelm them, according to the book I was reading.  
The Hekatonkheires had other giant brothers, the Cyclopes, that Uranus had also locked in Tartarus and were freed by my father. They were named Brontes, Arges, and Steropes and they also represented different aspects of storms. Brontes meant “thunderer,” Arges meant “bright,” and Steropes meant “lightning.” They were the beings that created Zeus’ thunderbolts.  
There was a knock on the door. “My lady?”  
“What, Daeira?” I let a bit of annoyance slip into my question.  
“You have a guest.”  
“Let them in,” I said distractedly as I tried to go back to my scrolls.  
“Not particularly light reading, is it?”  
I looked up and smiled, getting to my feet to throw my arms around my visitor. “Thanatos, it’s been ages!”  
“It certainly has! I didn’t expect such a warm welcome, but I appreciate it.” He pulled away to look at me. “You look different. Growing more beautiful by the day, I see.”  
“It’s probably just because you haven’t seen me in ages,” I dismissed him.  
“I think the Underworld suits you nicely.”  
“Thank you!” I beamed. “Why haven’t you visited?”  
“My duties keep me extremely busy. As long as the mortals keep dying, I have work to do.”  
“So, forever?”  
He half laughed and half sighed. “Don’t remind me.”  
“What brings you here?”  
“I was finally able to take some time off while Hermes is covering for me and heard Hades was away, meeting with the Hekatonkheires in Tartarus, so I figured I’d keep you company. I didn’t know you had a cute little nymph servant, though.”  
“Don’t remind me.” I laughed. “It’s nearly been a day since Hades left. Is that normal?”  
“Usually when she goes to Tartarus, she’s gone for a few days.”  
“Oh,” I murmured softly. “She hadn’t told me she would be away so long.”  
“Probably because she is trying to make the visit as short as possible to return to you.”  
“I’m surprised your brother and Hecate aren’t breaking down the doors, trying to make me stay with them.”  
“I think Hecate’s in the mortal world right now and my brother is not aware Hades left. Let’s be thankful for that!”  
“Oh, I don’t mind them that much! I appreciate company who isn’t constantly looking over my shoulder to worry and eavesdrop!” I raised my voice towards the door and then heard footsteps walking away.  
Thanatos laughed. “Who is she?”  
“Her name is Daeira. She was in the following of my mother in my youth, though I don’t remember her from then. The nymphs came and went almost as frequently as the mortals, when they were seduced into having families and being mundane for a short while. Also, I only saw my mother once a year, so it was hardly the highlight of my life.”  
“But… she’s dead.”  
“Your powers of observation amaze me, Thanatos.” I laughed as he playfully pushed me. “She was killed in Eleusis, when, you know…” I trailed off softly.  
“Ah, well, I see a lot of things have changed since I’ve been away.” He nodded to the candles I made. “How are you doing that? Isn’t it hard?”  
“Just concentration. I needed more light.”  
“There are easier ways to light a room.”  
“Maybe I just thought it was pretty,” I laughed. “Hey, that reminds me. There’s someone I need to go see but I wanted to be subtle about it, if you know what I mean. I’ve never been there, before and you know how I can’t travel like the rest of you.”  
“I do know what you mean. Who is it?”  
“Alecto.”  
“Alecto? You’ve met her?”  
I waved my hand dismissively. “When I was with your brother.”  
“Why do you need to see her?”  
“Just to speak with her about a few things. I’d rather not have my business so widely known, and it’s been hard to do much of anything with Daeira hovering as she does.”  
“Keeping secrets already, I see.”  
“We all have them, it seems.”  
“Can you take me to her home later tonight when Daeira is asleep?”  
“Of course, though I can’t promise she will be home. The Erinyes are summoned quite frequently. You know how the mortals are, always killing and cursing each other.” He paused to chuckle. “But I’m sure if she’s gone, either Megaera or Tisiphone will be there, as well as some of the Arae.”  
“The Arae?”  
“Female daimones of curses. They share a home together.”  
“I would really appreciate it. It’s been getting dull, locked in the palace.”  
“I bet. I’ll be happy to participate in a short jail break with you, Persephone,” Thanatos laughed. “Now, do you have any questions about the Underworld I could answer or do you have more fire tricks you could demonstrate?”  
I asked questions while showing him different things I could manipulate the flames into. He was particularly impressed by my figures of himself and the rest of the chthonic deities I had met down here. I was glad to relieve some of the pressure of my power building up, though I had to be extremely careful not to use too much, or Thanatos would probably sense it. Daeira returned and sat with us, though I didn’t mind because she was silent as she read her poetry. When she finally retired for the night, Thanatos and I made our escape.  
The only reason I needed Thanatos with me is because I had never been to the Erinyes’ home and did not know if my powers limited me to having seen the places I want to go before traveling to them myself.  
The Erinyes’ palace was large, but rather plain and unremarkable compared to Hades’, Hypnos’, and Hecate’s. If Alecto’s sisters were anything like her, I doubted they cared about such things. It was silent, but the door opened shortly after he knocked.  
“I did not expect to see you here, Thanatos.” The voice was feminine, but lower than usual and it sounded like gravel.  
“Yes, well, Persephone would like to see Alecto, apparently.”  
“Oh?” The door was pushed open further so she could see me and I could see her. She looked quite a bit like Alecto, though her hair was brown and cut short at her chin. “Alecto spoke of meeting you.”  
I fought not to blush. I hope Alecto hadn’t divulged all the details of our meeting. “And you are?”  
“My name is Megaera and I’m one of Alecto’s sisters. You can come in, but you,” Megaera shifted her gray eyes to Thanatos. “Can stay outside.”  
“Hey, I thought that was behind us!”  
“I hold grudges,” She chuckled as she pulled me inside and shut the door behind me.  
“What was that about?”  
“It’s a long story. I have to say that Alecto is not here but I can sense that whatever it is that you want is important. She will be back tomorrow.”  
“Will she be here tomorrow night?”  
Megaera nodded. “Should I point her in the direction of Hades’ palace?”  
“No, I can come here.”  
“Without Thanatos, I hope?”  
“It shouldn’t be a problem, though it might be late.”  
Megaera looked pleased. “How intriguing. Alecto said such good things about you, but I think you may have surpassed them.”  
“Well, I’m sorry to bother you. Thank you for your time.”  
“It was a pleasure to meet you, Persephone. Perhaps we’ll see more of each other.”  
“I’m sure we will. Thank you!” I opened the door to find Thanatos leaning against a pillar.  
“That was extremely fast.”  
“I just had to ask a quick question.”  
“So you saw her? Are you ready to go home? Something about Daeira tells me she’s not a woman to be crossed.”  
“I wholeheartedly agree. Let’s go home.”  
Thanatos took the hand I had held out to him and whisked me back to the palace, but he left me at the front door. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to go home for the night, but I’ll be back tomorrow. Hemera is supposed to be coming, so we can watch the sunrise together if you’d like.”  
“That sounds wonderful.”  
What really sounded wonderful was that I had another night to use as much power as I wanted and learn to control it further, before Hades returned. I wanted to keep this newfound ability and whatever the rest of my powers encompassed to myself.  
If Hades and the rest of them decided to keep secrets from me, I would do the same to them.  
I went to the stables and rode the horses out into the plains of the Underworld, letting the wind whip my hair behind me and darkness fall from my fingertips as we galloped across lifeless dirt. Everywhere the darkness touched, plants grew, and died, and grew again.  
I slipped off the horse’s back and moved a safe distance away as I let fire fly from my hands, changing its hue in explosions of color and sound. Every bang, like thunder, vibrated in my chest and eased the unbearable throbbing in my soul.  
Eventually, I reined it back in with great difficulty, like it was a wild animal, and returned to the palace and my bed with no one the wiser.  
The next day passed achingly slowly, with both Daeira and Thanatos watching over me, though Thanatos had kept true to his promise and did not breathe a word of our adventure the entire day. Thanatos and I went to the stables to watch the sunrise and returned to my reading room a few hours later. We ate breakfast while Daeira simply watched and read her books. I went through several scrolls, which barely captured my attention, but what was more interesting was seeing the dynamics between Thanatos and Daeira change.  
Everything started between them as tense, formal, and polite, but Thanatos made a point of including her in conversations, asking her about her life and what her opinions were on certain subjects. So, as the day went on, they started radiating closer and closer together, until in the evening, they both retired together, and I heard muffled moans as I passed Daeira’s room.  
I chuckled to myself and hoped that it would improve her mood, but I wished I could have been doing the same thing with Hades.  
Hades had not returned that day and because Thanatos was so thoroughly keeping Daeira preoccupied, I left to the Erinyes’ home.  
When I knocked, Megaera opened the door. “She’s home, but she was not very pleased to hear that you wanted to speak with her.”  
“I didn’t think she would be.”  
“Yes, well, right this way, then.” Megaera led me inside and through their palace, but it seemed to be mostly empty, except for the occasional door closing or flash of fabric disappearing behind a corner.  
“Where is everyone? Thanatos said the Arae live here too.”  
“They do, but all of us are often called upon.” Megaera paused and knocked on the door. “Sister, she’s here!”  
“Come in, Persephone.”  
I tried the door, which was unlocked, and let myself inside. Alecto was sitting on a lounge, enjoying the sunset on her balcony. “It’s nice to see you again.”  
“We shouldn’t be seeing each other.” She hadn’t looked at me until I sat beside her, but then her eyes widened as she grabbed my face. “What have you done?”  
“Nothing. You just haven’t seen me in…”  
“Don’t spit those lies at me like you do your friends in Hades’ palace. You obviously can travel in the realm by yourself, now.”  
I raised my eyebrow at her perceptivity. “I grew into some power, recently.”  
“A lot of power, I can tell, although your efforts to hide it are admirable. Keeping secrets, are you?”  
I pulled my face away and rolled my eyes. “My business is my own, not yours, and not theirs. Let them underestimate me like the rest of the immortals and let me be glad for my newfound freedom and strength.” I boldly took a drink of wine from the goblet beside Alecto. “Why shouldn’t I be seeing you?”  
“Because it’s wrong and it goes against my nature.”  
“I did not come to see you for sex. I came to apologize.”  
“Well, your apology is accepted.”  
“But what I would like to know is why I need to do any apologizing at all? You were clearly interested in me and I kissed you, then you tore yourself away and left, muttering something about a sacred oath. I have sworn no oaths or vows and I haven’t the faintest idea what you meant.”  
“You don’t?” Alecto’s eyes widened. “Well, it’s certainly something that the Moirai would know about. They like to concern themselves with matters like that. They’re nosey, if you ask me, but I suppose that’s what they’re here for. Although, the apology is not all you’re here for, either.”  
“I have… questions.”  
“If it’s about the oath surrounding you, I know nothing of it either. I can only sense it.”  
“No, it isn’t about that.”  
“What do you wish to know from me?”  
I started to blush as I cleared my throat. “Well, I seem to need a bit of advice concerning a woman.”  
Alecto’s smile reached ear to ear.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hades returns and surprises Persephone to fulfill her promise.

I had confided with Alecto, giving her a lot more personal information and feelings than I was usually comfortable with.  
I had asked her how she had known I liked women without even knowing me and she informed me that it was about feelings and instincts. She told me that even if I didn’t know for sure about the woman I liked, the only way to find out was to ask, or to show her how I really felt and hope for the best.  
When I finally admitted that I felt guilty for thinking and dreaming of Hades in a sexual way and how horrible it made me feel, Alecto’s eyes softened and she took my hands in hers.  
“You know as well as I that it is far more common, and sometimes even celebrated, for the men to take lovers of the same gender than it is for us, but that does not make it wrong for feeling the way that you do. How can anything be wrong about such a thing as simply caring for someone? You feel the way that you do and there’s nothing to be done about it, but there’s nothing you should do to prevent it. What you feel is normal, in both feelings and desires, and it is perfect. Loving women is not wrong and you should never, ever feel guilt because of it. Be shameless and reckless and giving with your love, Persephone. You are a goddess, after all, and we take and love what we want.”  
I had started crying then, uncontrollable as my shoulders heaved at the release of toxic feelings I had been keeping locked away. At first, I had tried in vain to swipe them away before they spilled, but Alecto pulled me into an embrace and held me until I stopped shaking.  
She murmured more soft assurances as I dried my eyes and tried to breathe, and sent me off with, “Persephone, show her how you feel.”  
My shoulders, along with my soul, felt lighter and cleansed as I headed back to the palace and slipped into bed. For the first time in ages, I fell asleep immediately.  
My dreams of Hades were light and full of love and happiness, a reflection of my newfound hope.  
Sometime during the night or early in the morning, I was awoken by the sound of someone coming into my room, or perhaps it had been a dream. It certainly felt too hazy and surreal to be anything except a dream.  
I was still too asleep to open my eyes but I asked, “Hades, is that you?”  
“Yes,” she murmured quietly. “I’ve only just returned.”  
My head still pressed into my pillow, I reached out blindly for her, still thinking I was dreaming because I always had more courage in my dreams. “Mmmmm, Hades… Come here.”  
She took my hand and climbed into bed with me without saying anything, the bed shifting as she settled in next to me and wrapped her arm around my waist. As I drifted back to sleep, she pressed her lips into my shoulder and sighed.  
When I woke up, it took me several moments to realize that inviting Hades into my bed was not something my subconscious had dreamed up to torment me. Hades’ arm was still loosely hanging over my waist. My face blanched at the realization of it, but when I turned my head, I saw Hades was still sleeping and my expression softened.  
As I watched her sleep, her chest rising and falling against my shoulder, her hair fanned out across my pillows, I thought about what Alecto had told me.  
It was not wrong to feel this way about Hades.  
It was not wrong to want to kiss Hades or think about making love to her.  
I repeated those phrases in my mind while I thought of ways to show Hades how I felt about her. I could just tell her outright, or wake her up by kissing her, but nothing I thought of felt right to me. Perhaps, if the time ever came around, I would know.  
Instead of doing anything rash, I turned to face Hades and moved to close the gap between our bodies. Hades moved to accommodate space for me without waking up, and as a result, our legs tangled together and we were in each other’s embrace. I rested my head on the same pillow she was using and started to stroke her hair softly. I drifted back to sleep with my heart singing.  
I was woken a third time by someone stroking my hair. I opened my eyes to find Hades watching me. “I’m glad you stayed. I missed you.”  
“I missed you as well, Persephone.”  
“How was your trip?”  
“Unpleasant as usual, but the Titans aren’t going to escape today, so I suppose that’s good. I certainly didn’t expect to be welcomed home in such a way, but I can’t say I mind very much.” Hades smiled.  
“I thought last night was a dream.”  
“Do you dream of me often, Persephone?” Hades’ smile turned sharper and my face paled, but someone knocked on the door and Hades turned away from me to yell, “Go away, would you?”  
“But Lord Hades…” Markos practically whined.  
“It’s okay, Persephone. I dream of you often.” Hades rolled onto her back and continued speaking before I had the chance to sputter a reply. “Although I admit I did leave you once this morning to speak to Markos and Daeira. Imagine my surprise at seeing Thanatos in her bed.”  
I couldn’t help but laugh. If I hadn’t heard it myself, I would have been very surprised. “Well, I hope she’s in a better mood today.”  
Hades chuckled as she idly ran her fingers down my arm, causing my skin to break out in goosebumps from the sensation. I didn’t try to hide the fact that I was enjoying every second of it. Hades was watching me, probably gauging my expression as her fingertips moved to skim against my thigh. When I willingly parted my thighs for her, she lifted herself slightly over me, dark eyes heavy with something I didn’t dare guess. I felt my heart beat faster inside my chest and was vaguely aware of how the tight grip I kept on my power loosened. The torches flared and I inhaled sharply when she pressed her fingers into the soft skin on the inside of my thigh. She watched my lips tremble as she began to slowly lower her head to mine.  
Markos knocked again.  
Hades looked visibly upset when she had to pull away from me. “Unfortunately, since I delayed this as long as I could, I have to excuse myself. You’re welcome to stay in bed, of course.”  
“No, I’ll come with you!”  
“You don’t have to.”  
“I’d be happy to accompany you.”  
Hades pulled me from bed and we went with Markos. He started talking about arrangements, but didn’t specify what they were to me. Hades just nodded along and agreed with most of what he was saying. Most of the servants seemed more anxious than usual.  
“The servants look happy to have you back.”  
“Do they? Well, I certainly would like to think they like having me home, but it’s not really because of that.”  
“What is happening, then?”  
“The yearly excursion to Elysium is quickly approaching. I hadn’t realized it was happening so soon, or I would have gone to visit the Hekatonkheires sooner. Poor time management on my part. Markos did most of the preparation while I was away. For all his faults, he’s capable.”  
“That explains why I didn’t see him very much. For that, I’m glad.”  
Hades chuckled, but as we passed the grand library, we spied Thanatos and Daeira inside. “It’s nice to see you fully clothed, Thanatos.”  
He paled slightly, as if that were possible. “Yes, well, about that…”  
“What? Are you shy? You certainly weren’t last night.” Daeira laughed. “Yes, we had sex. I don’t think Hades or Persephone care very much.”  
“You’re certainly forward about it.”  
“And did you enjoy your night, Persephone?” Daeria turned to me, a bemused expression on her face.  
It was my turn to pale, but Hades reached out and touched her thumb to my cheek as she chuckled. “Oh, I think Persephone is shy, too.”  
Another set of doors were thrown open with a bang, the sound echoing. “What is this I heard? Hades was gone, leaving poor Persephone all by herself, and my bastard of a brother didn’t even tell me? You’re a traitor, Thanatos! I am going to tell Mother about this!”  
Thanatos looked at Hades, probably in fear, and she just gave him a look that told him he was on his own.  
Hypnos rounded the corner before Thanatos was able to pull away from Daeira, which made Hypnos look between them suspiciously. “Great, my brother has been playing house this entire time, but at least Daeira sacrificed herself to keep his dirty hands off you, Persephone. I’m going to go drown my loneliness in sex, wine, and more sex.”  
All of us laughed.  
“That sounds like a solid plan.”  
“You go do that,” I said through my smile.  
“Before I leave, I have to say that you look particularly ravishing today, Persephone.”  
Hades gazed softly at me. “She does, doesn’t she?”  
“She’s going to slay us all with her beauty.”  
“Well, it’s a good thing I’m immune.” Daeira laughed.  
At first, I thought she meant because she wasn’t interested in women, but then it seemed like all of us realized her meaning at once.  
“Oh, Gods, Daeira. I apologize,” Thanatos murmured in horror.  
Daeira waved him off. “It’s alright.”  
“Well, on that note, I’m off,” Hypnos said suddenly and moved to leave. “Glad to see you back, Hades.”  
“It’s not like you even noticed, Hypnos!” Hades called after him, laughing.  
The next few days seemed to pass by like a dream and the palace seemed alive for the first time since I arrived. The servants were flurries of motion and a surprising amount of life. Hades was too swept up in last minute plans, none of which were ever really explained to me, and barely had time to see me. She didn’t spend the night with me again, though I suspect if I asked she would have gladly joined me again.  
I noticed the way Daeira watched us when Hades and I were together. Any observer knows what heavy stares and quickly broken eye contact means, and I was an observer by nature, though I had been all but blinded by Hades’ and her brilliance. Daeira suspected something had changed between us and I knew it had. Perhaps the catalyst had been my conversation with Alecto and inviting Hades to bed or, perhaps, it had been slowly growing over time.  
As much as I was glad to be with Hades again, I was also glad for her absence. She was too distracted to notice how I had changed or she could have just decided to not mention it. It was getting easier to conceal my power in much healthier ways, though I still snuck away at night to further discover my capabilities.  
Not only did I have the extreme precision with my control of flame, I was able to summon darkness around me to suit my needs. I could blend into the shadows and seem to disappear completely, or I could make it a tangible thing. It started as a vague thing, a pool of darkness circling my calves, but it could lash out and block projectiles. The more I practiced, the more malleable the darkness became, until I could mold it to my body like a suit of living armor.  
I felt invincible.  
I started to wonder what Athena would think of me now, if she would be proud of how strong I had become, and I made the mistake of thinking about my sister while trying to take myself back to the palace.  
Because when the darkness dissipated, I was no longer in the Underworld, and I muttered a thousand curses under my breath.  
It was nighttime, so the difference wasn’t startling at first, but I realized I was not standing in front of the palace. The air itself felt lighter and open, but I was surrounded by ruins of a mortal temple. The architecture was an obvious giveaway. I could hear the sound of war in the distance, of people screaming as they died. The remnants of parchment and wood were still smoking and the smell of death, decaying and burning bodies, was making it more than slightly difficult to breathe. I pushed one of the corpses with the edge of my sandal and it rolled over to reveal a badly burnt priestess.  
“Well, that’s certainly a shame.”  
I heard someone approaching and quickly gathered darkness around me as I stepped into the shadow of a column.  
“Persephone, are you here?” It was Athena, removing her golden helm.  
I released the darkness and stepped forward. “Hello, sister.”  
“What are you doing here? You know it isn’t safe, not yet!”  
“Well, I’m going to be honest with you, this was an accident, though I’m glad to see that you’re well.”  
“I’m glad to see you as well, but if anyone else sees you, it’s over. Go back to the Underworld,” She hissed, but her eyes scanned my appearance. “I see you’ve been faring well.”  
“Okay, but before I go, let me show you this.” I summoned the darkness to fit the shape of my body and made it resemble Athena’s armor as it hardened, then a flame in the vague shape of a sword was in my hand. “Isn’t this amazing?”  
Athena laughed as she pulled me into a hug. “What did I always say? I always knew you were destined for greatness. Now, please go, Persephone. Someone could come along at any second or sense your presence as I did.”  
I kissed her cheek and bid her farewell, “I love you, sister.”  
Athena nodded and slid her helm back on as the darkness enveloped me and dumped me at an entrance to Hades’ palace. I hurried inside, using the darkness as a precaution to make myself unseen, and immediately took a bath in my quarters.  
I wanted no trace of my unexpected visit to the mortal world found. My nose had become immune to the smell of death, but I was sure it was clinging to me like my darkness. I thoroughly washed my hair, body, and even the peplos I had been wearing, all the while thinking of how I had been able to go to the mortal world without any difficulty at all, how all I had to do was think of Athena and suddenly I was transported to her.  
When I was satisfied with smelling only like roses, I slipped into bed and realized I was actually weary. The journey to the mortal world and back must have taken a lot of energy, though I hadn’t noticed at the time. I slipped into blissfully dreamless sleep.  
I woke up to Hades unabashedly watching me in bed. “Were you planning on waking me up anytime soon?” I asked sleepily as I stretched.  
“Yes, well, you seemed like you needed it and I… got distracted.”  
The room was heavy with the warmth of the fire I had left on during my sleep. I smothered it with a thought as I continued stretching, but realized my sheets had fallen away some time during the night, leaving my breasts exposed while I slept. “Apologies,” I murmured as I sat up and gathered the sheets around me again. “I didn’t expect anyone to come in, what with how busy you and Daeira have been.”  
“Oh, I don’t mind at all, Persephone, although if you want to accompany me to Elysium, we should be leaving soon.”  
“You want me to go with you?”  
“Well, I had planned on you coming with me, but if you don’t want to…”  
“Of course I would like to go. I just planned on being excluded, like usual.”  
Hades raised her eyebrow at my comment. “Everyone is waiting for us so you better dress quickly and dress light. Just wear a short chiton under your himation.” She pulled back her himation to show that she was wearing a short chiton under it.  
“Why?”  
“You’ll see.” Hades smiled as she left my bedroom.  
I joined everyone else outside the main entrance to the palace and I was stunned to see exactly how many servants Hades’ had. Apparently, the servants were incredibly good at remaining undetected and out of the way at all times. Hades was speaking to Hecate and the twins in quiet voices but Daeira joined my side.  
“You’re coming, too?”  
“Hades invited me. It’s probably some way to show me what I’m missing out on.”  
“Do you know how we’re even going to get there?”  
“No.”  
Hades beckoned us over. “I’m glad you decided to join us, Persephone. I wouldn’t want you to miss this.”  
“I’m curious to see how you’re going to take everyone there.”  
“You’ll see.” Hades nodded to Hecate and the twins, who moved to take their places around the massive group of spirits.  
I felt the power before I saw it manifest, how heavy it fell upon all of us. The deities were summoning it between them and I could sense how powerful they were together. My own power, the power of the Underworld, was safely locked away but struggled to get free to join them. I knew I could help if I wished, to lighten the burden on the four of them, but it wasn’t the right time. I stood and silently observed as the darkness flooded up from the ground and raced up everyone’s bodies until we were blinded by it.  
When the darkness faded, I didn’t think we were in the Underworld. I felt a warm sun on my face, felt a cool breeze in my hair, and even smelled grain. Opening my eyes revealed that what my other senses had been telling me was true.  
Before me, hills of grass, wheat, and flowers rolled into a seemingly endless blue horizon, though I spied elaborate marble buildings in the distance and figures moving towards us. Around me, all the spirits had taken corporeal forms, looking just like they were alive again, even Daeira, who was marveling at her skin.  
I spied Thanatos watching Daeira with soft eyes, admiring how her beauty was even more apparent.  
A hand slipped over mine and I looked up to see Hades smiling at me. “What do you think, Persephone? Was it worth the visit?”  
“How is this even possible?”  
“Oh, you know…” Hades just trailed off as a man approached us.  
“Was the journey difficult, Lord Hades?”  
“No more than usual, Rhadamanthus.”  
“Rhadamanthus? I hardly recognize you.” I laughed. “What are you doing here?”  
“Ah, yes, I hardly recognize myself when I leave. As for your other question, I live here. I’m the Lord of Elysium.”  
“The Judges stay in Elysium when they aren’t busy.” Hades murmured in my ear.  
“Oh, apologies. I had forgotten,” I murmured. “Well, what do we do now?”  
“We relax. The servants will go spend time with their families and we can do whatever we’d like.”  
“In that case…” I waved my hand and the field around us flushed a vibrant spring green as new flowers grew. I heard several of the servants gasp and clap.  
Hades smiled and tugged on my arm playfully before running off. “Come on!”  
I gladly gave chase, letting my powers of life run rampant, letting them grow everything from weeds to trees. As I ran after her, my heart felt like it could burst. The sun Hemera brought with her during her visits was small and peculiar, so I had never truly seen Hades in the sunlight. This had been one of my many dreams, seeing her in the sun, with life all around us, though I never imagined it could turn out to be true.  
Entire orchards grew around us because of my happiness, but I could tell that Hades was slowly leading me to the buildings.  
“What’s over there?”  
Hades slowed and walked beside me. “The buildings? Oh, that’s the polis. It’s where most of the spirits live.”  
“What’s the name of it?”  
“It doesn’t really have one, or should I say it has many? You know how the mortals are. Their cities change names with who comes to power, and how time passes. The name of the polis changes often, but it’s just from new souls coming to live there.”  
“Is it nice?”  
“It’s perfect, as per what the people deserve. I think they would like to meet you.”  
Hades was right. The people in the city all seemed extremely excited to meet Hades’ new companion. Hades had moved away after she introduced me, giving them room to circle around me. They fawned over my appearance and asked tons of questions, but they loved when I demonstrated my powers. I grew wildflowers and taught the young girls how to weave flower crowns. I grew fruit trees, and they watched as leaves unfurled, flowers bloomed, and fruit ripened all in the span of a minute.  
Hades was watching me from a distance, seeing all the people gathered around me that marveled at my abilities and my kindness. I waved to her and she smiled.  
Eventually, I pulled myself away from the souls and I could feel Hades’ eyes on me without having to look, so I left the city. When I was sure she had followed me, I turned to look at her, grinned, and ran.  
I heard her laugh as she gave chase without complaint, like I had done earlier. I ran through the meadows to the grove I had grown earlier, because it was private and tranquil. Once I was sure I was well hidden from Hades’ view, I climbed into one of the trees.  
She entered the grove as I watched from above, though it was clear she didn’t know where I was. She walked tentatively around as I followed silently, using my power to strengthen branches and link the trees together. When she finally called out to me in confusion, I dropped down behind her and she jumped away.  
I laughed and pulled her back to me. “Did I startle you?”  
She looked up to the trees suspiciously. “You were up there?”  
I nodded.  
“You wild woman.”  
I took off my himation and spread it out on the glass below me to sit down and Hades did the same. It was rare to see her in a chiton. The only time I had before was when we sparred. With only a thought, I made moss grow under the himations as an extra cushion. I lied back and made the branches of the overhead trees move until I could watch the sky and feel the sun on my face.  
“You used a lot of your power today. Are you tired?”  
“So did you. It took quite a lot of power from all of your to be able to transport the servants here, but to answer your question, no, I’m not tired. It takes very little effort for me to do that.”  
“It does get easier with repetition.”  
I sighed as I closed my eyes to feel the sun’s warmth. “This is so wonderful, Hades. It’s perfect. Thank you for bringing me here.”  
“You’re welcome, Persephone.” Hades’ hand brushed against mine and she wove her fingers through mine. “You were so good with them, you know.”  
“The souls?” I opened my eyes and turned my head to look at her. She was lying on her side, facing me, and she nodded. “They’re very kind. Even though my gifts are mostly irrelevant, I admit it’s nice to be able to show them off. It’s so strange to be able to grow proper things again. Oh, that reminds me.” I slipped my hand from hers and turned away from her, growing a flawless narcissus. I brandished it to her with a flourish.  
Hades blushed as she took it from me, her thumb brushing against mine as it had the night in Olympus. “You haven’t forgotten, I see.”  
“How could I?”  
She only looked at the flower in her hand while she started to speak. “When you had given this to me, I thought somehow you had known, though I wasn’t sure, of course.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“The narcissus is one of my symbols. You know how the mortals like to have things represent us. This is one of mine.”  
“Is it really?” I raised an eyebrow. “I hadn’t known.”  
“I know that now, but if you don’t mind me asking, what made you grow that specific flower for me?”  
It was my turn to blush. “I could barely see any of your features, other than your skin. I think I grew the narcissus because the white petals reminded me of it, of how pale and smooth your skin looked in the moonlight. I suppose it just felt right.”  
I settled down onto my himation again and watched the clouds go by. “I cannot believe this is the Underworld.”  
“I think that’s the point of Elysium. I have to admit, I think I enjoy coming here almost as much as my servants.”  
“Do you ever visit more often, without the servants?”  
“No. I try to keep my distance from it, to interfere with the mortals’ afterlives as little as possible. They’ve praised and worshiped and sacrificed for the gods all their lives and it’s the least I can do to stop perpetuating that. The things our family puts them through! The poor people.” Hades chuckled lightly.  
“They were so unbelievably open and kind to me. They treated me like a…” I trailed off, not knowing what word to use.  
“A queen?” Hades suggested, which made me look at her. “I suppose they are my subjects, although I don’t like to think of them as such, but I would have them treat you no other way.”  
“I never interacted with the mortals all that much. The only time I wasn’t in Olympus was when I was with my mother, and we were always in disguise as other mortals when we helped with the harvest.”  
“I couldn’t imagine you with any other face than your own.”  
“I never imagined I would see you in the sun, either.”  
“Oh?”  
“I had dreamed about it, of course, but we met at night in Olympus, and Hemera’s sun is not like Helios’. It isn’t like the darkness is a bad thing, but that has nearly always been your domain, and mine was the light.”  
“Was?”  
“Was,” I confirmed firmly. “So, if I asked to come back here, would I need to wait until next year?”  
Hades chuckled. “I believe I could make a few exceptions for you, if you wished.”  
I turned my head to look at Hades and observed how the sunlight caught in her dark lashes and made her face flush with the unusual heat. Her long black hair was spread across her equally dark himation, but in the light, the locks had a faint blue tint to them. “Hades?” I murmured quietly.  
She turned her attention away from the sky to face me. “Yes?”  
I raised myself up and brought my lips to hers.  
She did not react for a moment and my breath caught in my throat, but then she sat up and I felt her hand go to support the back of my head as the other arm drew me into her lap. She pressed her lips to mine again, harder, with none of the uncertainty that mine had held. My hands went to hold her face as I kissed her over and over again. She smiled against my lips, matching every kiss I gave her.  
How many times had I dreamt of doing this?  
My unspeakable relief that Hades reciprocated what I felt was replaced by something else, darker, like the power that I had locked away. I knew the heat between us was not just the sun.  
I pulled her bottom lip between my teeth lightly and then I felt her tongue collide with mine. Her fingers moved to slide the hem of my chiton higher up my thigh, every single touch fire as she fought to draw me even closer to her, until there was no space between us. My legs wrapped around her waist and my chest was pressed to hers. I was painfully aware of how thin our chitons were, of how I could feel her full breasts swell under my own, of the warmth that was spilling out from between my thighs onto her abdomen. My hands fell to trace her neck, her collarbones, and brush against the sides of her breasts. She inhaled sharply and I loved how she gasped for me, because of me. I pushed her back onto her himation, pinning her arms above her.  
“I’ve dreamt about you since our first meeting in Olympus,” I whispered against her skin as I rained heavy kisses onto her neck.  
“Gods, Persephone, so have I.” Hades could barely speak as I slowly unclipped her fibulae and removed her chiton, my eyes hungry to look at her beneath me, naked, vulnerable, and mine.  
I placed one of my hands on her glowing chest, feeling how strong and fast her heartbeat was, before ever slowly sliding the hand between her breasts and down to her stomach.  
Her body lurched as my hand went lower. “Persephone,” she breathed. “There’s just one problem.”  
“Oh, what’s that?” I murmured, leaning down to press a kiss to her breast, drawing her peaked nipple between my teeth lightly.  
Her body jolted again in response, but she freed one of her hands and put it behind her back, retrieving something. “I crushed the narcissus.”  
I laughed and drew her up into my arms. “I’ll grow you a thousand more.”  
New sprouts shot up from the ground in every direction around us in the grove and I kissed Hades’ neck so I wouldn’t block her view. As my fingers found their place between her thighs, the narcissus flowers unfurled and she gasped for me. Her shaking fingers found a way under my chiton and I bit down in a gasp and a sigh on her shoulder as they entered me.  
As our bodies became one, a visible wave of power, darkness mixed with light, was released like a clap of thunder and we cried out loud enough for the gods of Olympus to hear us.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Persephone enjoys her blossoming relationship with Hades, disturbing news arrives.

The deities knew about our union immediately because of the wave of power that had erupted from us in the Elysian Fields. I didn’t know what it was or what it meant and, naturally, Hades did not explain it to me and clearly was trying to keep me too preoccupied to ask her. If Daeira hadn’t known about us before we left, she certainly would have found out with the ways Hades was managing to keep me awake every night, crying and moaning like I was a mortal and her name was a prayer. I was sure the entire palace could hear us, but that didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was Hades.  
There was a knock on my door and Markos began to speak. “Lord Hades, the judges require your presence.”  
A small plea escaped my throat as I looked down at Hades’ gorgeous face between my thighs. I did not want her to leave, not yet.  
“All I need is a few more minutes, Markos.” Hades grazed her teeth against the inside of my thigh and I whimpered for her.  
“Persephone, you’re a terrible influence on Hades. She has responsibilities, but it’s not like you would know anything about that.” Markos’ voice sounded strained.  
I smothered all the torches in the hallway with only a clench of my fist and I heard his footsteps quickly scurry away. Hades laughed into my skin before continuing what Markos had so rudely interrupted. My back arched and I gripped the sheets for purchase as my hips moved against her mouth.  
Ever since our union in Elysium, I had grown even stronger. As we made love, I could feel my darkness struggling to break free, to touch and caress Hades as my fingers could. It was all I could to do cling onto it and hope for it to not be released. Distantly, I wondered if Hades’ power did the same thing, but I knew she had countless years to master her control of the chthonic powers.  
Hades clung onto one of my thighs and reached her other hand up to touch my stomach, reaching higher and higher until it stroked my breast. I threw my head back against the pillows and cried out as I broke for her, my body quaking under Hades’ touch.  
Hades pulled herself up and planted a kiss that tasted of me on my mouth, her body slick with sweat against my own. She rested her head on my breasts as I struggled to breathe properly and my body continued to quiver for her. She pressed more kisses to my neck and let her fingertips trace my skin languidly.  
I raised my hand to run it down her arm and then her thigh, watching how her pupils grew in response to my touch. I deftly dipped my fingers between her legs and felt a new slickness.  
Hades stopped my hand, though I could tell she didn’t want to, and chuckled breathlessly. “I have an underworld to run, Persephone, and you only temporarily scared Markos off. Wasn’t last night and this morning enough for you?”  
I kissed her, drawing her bottom lip between my teeth. “No.”  
Hades sighed heavily as she pulled herself out of my reach. “I would make love to you for centuries on end, if they granted me the time.”  
I rolled onto my stomach and watched her get dressed, smiling because I had delayed her to the point of preventing her from having time to bathe before she left. “Mmmm… I do like the sound of that.”  
“The judges are going to start a vote to throw me in Tartarus soon and I do not doubt it would be unanimous.”  
“I would visit often.” I paused for us both to laugh and then purred, “Well, wouldn’t it be worth it?”  
Hades finished dressing, drew my face into her hands, and planted a surprisingly chaste kiss on my lips. “It would. I’ll see you later tonight.”  
She slipped away before I could pull her back into bed with me, but I heard her remark about the darkness when she walked down the hallway.  
I rolled onto my back breathlessly, wondering if I had ever been as happy as I was now or if I could have been even happier. I decided that it was highly improbable.  
Several days passed in complete bliss. Hades would return to me in the evening and wouldn’t leave until Markos tore her away from me in the morning. I could tell that Hades was making an effort to spend as much time with me as possible and I thoroughly showed my appreciation for it.  
We took another day for sparring, but sparring was more kissing and caressing than actual fighting. We would fight to pin each other down and then tease each other through our chitons, her fingertips felt like searing brands against my skin as I bit her collarbone.  
Eventually, we moved it to the bath in the next room and I reclined into Hades’ chest. I held her hands out in front of me and inspected the way the heat of the water turned her skin pink. I brought her hand up and brushed my lips across her knuckles, grinning when I felt her move slightly against me.  
“You know, taking me to Elysium doesn’t fulfill your end of the deal.”  
Hades chuckled and wrapped her arm around my waist. “Oh, why is that?”  
“Because you were already planning on it.”  
“That’s true, but I haven’t forgotten. I’m just waiting for it to be ready.”  
“Ready?”  
“It’s being built.”  
“I am certainly intrigued.”  
“It should be finished today, actually.”  
“So, if I asked you to take me today, you wouldn’t attend the judges and take me there?”  
I felt her kiss the back of my neck. “I would.”  
“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”  
* * *  
I stood outside the entrance to Hades’ palace alone. Hades told me she had to check on a few things at the mysterious location before she brought me there herself. I absently played with the material of my himation, musing about how I had finally grown used to the cold of the Underworld. It didn’t bother me anymore.  
I used my power to pull darkness from the ground and manipulate it into shapes, into my armor, while I waited quietly. I could follow Hades if I wished, but I would rather reveal my powers to her when the time was right. I had decided awhile ago that an absent display of transportation was not. When I sensed chthonic power approaching me, I cut mine off and returned to normal.  
Alecto appeared in right in front of me and jerked away startled, murmuring curses, while I smiled. “I certainly did not expect you to be right here.”  
I chuckled as I pulled her in for a hug and kissed her cheek. “What are you visiting the palace for? Do you need to see Hades? If so, I’m afraid she’s away right now.”  
“No, I came here looking for you.”  
“Well, I’d say it worked out flawlessly then, though I’m waiting for Hades, who could be back at any second.”  
“That’s fine. I’ll make it quick.” Alecto looked me over. “You’re radiant. I see my advice helped.”  
“Indeed.”  
“The entirety of the Underworld knows that Hades finally took a lover. We’re happy for her, and I’m happy for you.”  
“Thank you, my friend.”  
“Your power has grown since your union with her, hasn’t it?”  
“Well, I didn’t know the full extent of…” I trailed off when Alecto gave me a powerful stare. “Yes, it has. Is that common?”  
“I felt the power shift that day, you know. I think we all did. But to answer your question, no, it isn’t common, which is what makes it so intriguing.”  
“Hades never said anything and I know she felt it.”  
Alecto chuckled. “I think she counted on your… shall I say… lack of experience for you to not know to question things like that.”  
I pursed my lips. “I do not like not knowing things about myself.”  
“I don’t think anyone does. Are you troubled? You seem like it.”  
I sighed heavily and shifted my weight from one foot to another as I thought of a way to begin. Alecto had proven herself a trusted ally to me already.  
“It happened ages ago, but I overheard Hecate and Hades talking about me. They were careful to not actually say what they were talking about, but Hecate had visited the Moirai and they told her things about Hades, and myself, that she was mad Hades hadn’t told her already. She said I should know.”  
Alecto grinned. “Now, that is very intriguing, but unsurprising. Hecate has been Hades’ second for as long as I can remember.”  
“I suppose I have been hoping Hades will come to her senses and tell me what she has been keeping from me, but even now that we’re lovers, she still hasn’t.”  
“I would be troubled, too, if I knew something was being kept from me.”  
“What should I do?”  
“You could just ask her, but since it seems Hades is bent on keeping it from you at all costs, I don’t know if she would be truthful. Hecate is also bound to Hades’ wishes and will not go behind her back.”  
“I’m well aware of that, Alecto.”  
“Do you even want to know, truthfully? As much as I hate to have anything negative happen to you, it could be something very bad.”  
“I’ve been keeping my secrets from her, as you already know, because they are mine.” Darkness rippled around me, agitated. “I don’t think her secret is hers to hoard.”  
“Very well.” Alecto sighed as she watched me. “You should visit the Moirai.”  
“They would know, wouldn’t they?”  
“Indeed. They could shed some light on your secrets, and perhaps the oath that’s around you, but I have to warn you…”  
“Hades is returning.”  
“The Fates are an acquired taste. You must be direct with your questions. I will need to see you about this further before you go by yourself.” Alecto started to disappear, her last words fading away. “Wait for me.”  
I cut my power immediately, Hades appearing not even a moment later with a wide smile on her face. She leaned in and pecked me on the lips. I obliged, even though I felt a knot grow in my stomach.  
I plastered a smile on my face when I pulled away. I felt guilty for talking about things behind Hades’ back, but honestly, what else could I do?  
If I even tried, she would lie, evade, or try to prevent me from figuring it out.  
“Is something wrong?” Hades looked me over a little more closely.  
“No.”  
“I’m sorry I had to make you wait for so long. It’s just that I had a hard time finding Ascalaphus and… Oh, what am I saying? Let’s go!” Hades took my hand and kissed my knuckles as the palace faded away from us.  
When I felt sun on my face, I turned to Hades. “I thought I said Elysium didn’t count.”  
“It doesn’t, but this part of Elysium… This is for you, Persephone.” Hades brought her hand to my cheek and tenderly ran her thumb over the hard edge of my cheekbone before turning me around.  
Before me was an oasis of life. Rows of trees were spread out, but all headed towards a wall of shrubbery that was too dense to see through. Ducking into one of the rows, I placed my hand on a branch.  
“This is one of mine,” I murmured softly. “Are they all…”  
“Only some of them.” Hades followed me as I moved through the trees. “I took the liberty of having them transplanted. Of course, you can do whatever you’d like with this place.”  
“A piece of paradise, just for me.”  
Hades grabbed my wrist lightly and pulled me back to her, pressing her forehead against mine as she stroked my cheek. “In my opinion, it’s only paradise when you’re here.”  
I blushed and rolled my eyes playfully. “Such an abundance of flattery today.”  
“Persephone, I… I hope you know this isn’t just for the day, that this, that you, mean a lot more to me than you might realize. I’m afraid this might be too soon, or too forward, but I wanted to tell you something.”  
Before she could continue, bubbling laughter came from behind the shrubs.  
Curious, I broke away from Hades, her words forgotten, to investigate. The shrubbery parted for me with a wave of my hand to reveal a gazebo surrounded by a vibrant garden. A man and woman were sitting with their backs to us, talking and laughing with each other.  
“I didn’t expect the two of you to still be here,” said Hades.  
They turned to us and the man immediately stood to bow. “Lord Hades, I apologize.”  
“That is Ascalaphus and this is…”  
I had immediately recognized the honey gold hair woven with flowers and wide brown eyes. “Chloris, it’s been ages!”  
“Persephone, I was afraid you wouldn’t remember me.” She stood and ran to hug me, the flowers parting as she moved.  
As we embraced, I heard Hades mutter, “Goddess of plants and goddess of flowers, of course they’ve met.”  
“I haven’t seen you since…” I pulled away to look at her. Like the rest of the immortals, she remained unchanged with time.  
“Since I wed Zephyrus?”  
“From what I’ve heard, ‘wed’ isn’t the word I would use.” I raised my eyebrow for her to elaborate.  
“Ah, yes, well… I suppose he did abduct me in the beginning. I had my eye on his brother, but things change. Did you know I have a son now? His name is Karpos.”  
I glanced to Hades. “Well, that’s nice, I suppose.”  
Chloris turned to her as well. “Lord Hades, I hope I’m not imposing but… It’s rather nice here, peaceful, and I know I was only supposed to be here to help grow all of this,” she waved towards the flowers, “but I was wondering if I could stay for awhile.”  
Hades sighed and looked to me cautiously. “Did you ask Rhadamanthus?”  
“He deferred me to you.”  
I didn’t mind if Chloris stayed. I knew she could be a bit overbearing after long exposure, but it was not as though I would spend every waking minute here. I nodded to Hades.  
“Very well, Chloris, you’re free to stay.”  
She squealed her thanks and ran off to explore more of Elysium, or so I guessed. Flowers grew in her wake, leaving paths of colorful splotches that trailed behind her. It was clear her personality had not changed over the years, as well.  
Chloris had been a constant in my youth. We had been raised together for the most part and she had been my companion during my trips to the mortal world to see my mother. To our family, we had been interchangeable. If any of the older goddesses needed flowers for some ridiculous party, they only needed to ask one of us and it didn’t matter who.  
Even I had to admit that we had been quite similar when we were children. Jovial little blonde girls, but while Chloris kept her honey locks and youthful naivety, my hair darkened, as well as my personality. Her childish ignorance was something akin to Hebe, and the more jaded I became, the more I just couldn’t bear to be around her. I became painfully aware of how vile our family was, but she remained as happy and unaware as a child, unconcerned in the midst of her blissful ignorance.  
After all, she was kidnapped, forcibly wed, and believed she loved the man who did it. Perhaps she had been willing, after all. It wouldn’t have surprised me.  
Hades gave me space as I explored the gardens, never leading me anywhere and letting me look around at the pace I wanted. Even amidst my thoughts, I noticed she looked pensive.  
I slowed until I was next to her. “So, who is Ascalaphus exactly? He’s just a soul, yes?”  
“I charged him with the role of caretaker to the orchard and the gardens before I knew Chloris was going to be staying. I do hope they get along…” Hades trailed off for a moment before continuing. “He isn’t just a soul, he’s the son of Acheron, but I have talked with him a few times and I felt as though he would be a very good choice. He’s a terribly kind man, very soft spoken.”  
While Hades had been speaking, I spied a flawless low hanging fruit from the tree above us and absently grabbed it. I wasn’t hungry but it had been so long since I had eaten anything that I had grown myself so it was irresistible, especially under the heat of the sun. I had almost brought the apple to my lips when Hades grabbed my wrist roughly, to stop me.  
“Don’t,” she said stiffly, her gaze intense.  
Her sudden force had startled me. “What?”  
“Food of the Underworld, Persephone.”  
“Oh.” I stared down at the apple in my hand. I hadn’t thought about the binding in a while, and Elysium seemed so much like the mortal world that it hadn’t occurred to me. “Even now, you still don’t want me to stay?”  
“There is a difference between wanting you to stay and wanting you bound here for eternity.” Hades raised her gaze from the apple to my eyes. “You could stay here forever and never return to the mortal world or Olympus if you so wished it and I would welcome that. You staying does not require you to bind yourself here. Other than what I told you about trying to fight the binding, the initial act can be… unpleasant. Do you not understand I want to save you from that?”  
I dropped the apple to the ground silently and didn’t protest, but I knew a few things now.  
The first was that Hades did not want me to make such a permanent decision because she had doubts about either me or herself.  
The second was that I could come here in the dead of night without Hades and bind myself whenever I wished without her knowing.  
The third was that regardless if Hades allowed it or not, if my safety here was threatened, I would not wait for her permission to save myself.  
I still wasn’t sure if Hades knew exactly how much I had changed since I came here, if my control of my chthonic power wasn’t tight enough to conceal it from her, because she had not mentioned it. For reasons unknown, the Underworld decided to gift me with its power and that meant that I already belonged here.  
* * *  
Hecate, I decided, had certainly been avoiding me since the dispute with Hades I had eavesdropped on. Before the argument, she had stopped by the palace nearly every day and I had to practically beg for time alone, and now I barely saw her. The few brief times that I did see her, she always made terrible excuses such as being busy with chasing Hypnos and his sons away from her nymphs or being in the mortal world.  
She came to the palace looking for Hades, not even bothering to come find me while she soundlessly walked through the stone corridors.  
I followed her for some time, vainly hoping that she may have been looking for me. Hecate must be a terrible liar if she thought the best thing was to blatantly avoid me like I had some fatal illness. The stalking got boring by the time she reached Hades’ rooms. I had been using the palace’s many shadows as cover, never needing to use my powers of concealment. I stepped away from the long shadow of an open door to reveal my presence. “I’m afraid Hades is at the Hall, Hecate.”  
Hecate jumped at the sound of my voice and turned, a guilty smile spreading across her face. “Oh, I didn’t expect to see you, Persephone.”  
I was not amused. “I live here.”  
“Well, I guess I should be going then. It was nice seeing you again.” She turned to leave, but I set my hand on her arm.  
“Wait! I actually wanted to see Hades, too. Could I come with you?”  
“Uh, well…” She paused and I knew she was thinking of an excuse to leave me behind.  
“I’m sure Hades wouldn’t mind seeing me, and I could lighten any bad news you have to bring her.” I grinned and walked her out before she had the chance to protest. “It’s been ages since I visited your home and your Lampades. Do they miss me?”  
“They do.”  
“I should visit soon. That is, if you can bear to free yourself for a few hours.” I watched as her face grew even paler.  
She smiled, a valiant effort to mask her distress. It bothered me that both Hades and Hecate thought I was so blind as to not see it. “Of course.”  
“Daeira is still being preoccupied with Thanatos, so she hasn’t been as attached to my shadow as before. I have to say, it’s getting a little boring by myself.”  
“Still?” Hecate raised her eyebrows.  
I nodded. “It is interesting, isn’t it? I guess Thanatos doesn’t share his brother’s tendencies.”  
“I guess not, but you’ve been preoccupied yourself, haven’t you?” Hecate genuinely grinned as she looked over to me and it pained me to think of the friend I had before the dispute had torn a rift between herself, Hades, and subsequently, me.  
I returned her grin. “Perhaps.”  
“It was about time.” Hecate chuckled and patted the arm I had twined with hers. “Oh, don’t think I didn’t see it. I see quite a lot more than you or Hades would suspect.” I bit the inside of my cheek to keep my smile contained. “The way the both of you pined for each other, how you even just looked at each other. It was driving me to madness.”  
“Why didn’t you say anything?”  
“It wasn’t my place.”  
I bit my tongue to keep from asking her if it wasn’t her place to tell me the secret Hades was keeping and plastered a pleasant smile on my face instead. I didn’t think I would have to resort to Olympian games while I was here but I was sadly mistaken.  
Hecate summoned up her power and then we were standing before the great Hall of Judgement, the light from inside causing the massive columns to splay their tall shadows in all directions. As we stepped inside, I could hear Aeacus and Minos arguing. A spirit was kneeling before them, mute and unmoving, as they debated where to send it. Some indiscretion relating to the gods was a matter of sending it to Tartarus or giving it the lighter sentence of the Fields of Asphodel. Rhadamanthus was reading some parchment and staying silent, while Hades was above them, lounging on her throne and drumming her fingers on the armrest, bedecked in vibrant jewels.  
Hecate pulled me out of the way quickly, so as not to disturb the judges, but I saw the way Hades straightened in her throne as her eyes fell on Hecate and the way she relaxed and smiled when she saw me next to her. I nodded my acknowledgment to Hades before ducking behind a pillar with Hecate.  
“What was that about?” I asked, more of a test than anything.  
“What?”  
She failed.  
“Oh, nothing.” I kicked a loose stone out into the darkness as I leaned against a pillar. I could feel the power beneath the stone, swirling but dormant. This place was older than Hades’ palace, probably here from the beginning, though I doubt the judges were. Perhaps there had been different judges, all those eons ago. “How long does this usually take? You know, judgment.”  
Hecate cocked her head as she listened to the sound of Aeacus and Minos escalating. “Oh, I’m sure Hades is going to intervene in five, four, three…”  
“Enough, the both of you!” Hades finally hissed and I had to strain my ears to hear her. “What did he actually do?”  
“Well…” Aeacus trailed off for a moment. “It says here that he tried to prevent Apollo from ravishing his priestess daughter. Apollo set his sights on her and the father convinced her to flee before Apollo could return. He was killed and she… ah, she was turned into a flower.”  
“He should be awarded Elysium, if you ask me.” Hades sighed heavily before continuing, “Chloris must really stop doing that. I know she thinks she’s helping but really, how many new flower breeds are we going to get from mortals that way? It was Apollo who requested he be punished further than just a premature death, I presume? Also, I’m guessing his request was actually Tartarus.”  
There was a pause that must have been a nod of confirmation.  
“My nephew is such an insolent little boy. He takes after my brother far, far too much.” Hades gave a short pause. “This isn’t really a very hard decision. Put him in Asphodel. I might even decide to employ him in the future. Hecate, Persephone, you can return!”  
Minos waved his hand and the soul vanished in smoke upon our entry. “I’m glad that’s over with.”  
Hades stood in a graceful movement and descended the stairs to kiss me. “What are the two of you doing here? Up to no good?” She looked between us, though she lowered her hand to twist her fingers between mine and give a light squeeze. She had been missing me.  
“I wish we were. Hecate hasn’t been very fun lately.” I laughed. “She came to the palace looking for you and I decided to accompany her here.”  
“What did you want to see me about, Hecate?”  
“Well, it wasn’t anything too important, and I apologize for interrupting your…” Hecate waved her hand around the Hall.  
“Nonsense, I’m glad you gave us a reason to cut it short. Aeacus and Minos were driving me to madness.”  
Both of them looked offended, but Rhadamanthus looked up from his parchment and grinned. “At least I’m not included in that, this time.”  
“Oh, I’m sure you will be tomorrow.” Hades leveled her gaze on him and he turned his attention back to his parchment.  
I sensed a deity approaching and turned subconsciously, even before Hades and Hecate. Thanatos raced into the room, face flushed, breathing hard, as if he had run here. “Hades, there’s an emergency. My brother needs you immediately.”  
“What’s wrong with Hypnos?” I asked quickly.  
“No, it’s Charon. I stopped to see him and well, you should see it for yourself.”  
Hades didn’t bother to drop my hand as we were whisked away, appearing on Charon’s side of the river. We were surrounded by an ocean of souls that immediately began pulling at our robes, begging for their return home. Hades circled her arms around me protectively as she ordered, “kneel.”  
Her voice echoed like thunder across the Underworld, and to my surprise, the souls all stilled and did as they were told.  
“Lord Hades, you’re here!” Charon called from his craft on the river.  
“Charon, what is happening?” Hades led me through the kneeling souls to the riverbank.  
Charon leaned back slightly as he caught sight of us. “Oh my, you’re still here? I must say I’m quite surprised.”  
“I told you I was invited, Charon.”  
“Yes, well… Hades, truth be told, I’m not entirely sure what’s happening. More and more souls have been coming every day, but that’s to be expected in the winter, as you know. I thought nothing of it, especially not enough to bring it to your attention, until… I’m afraid I’ve been overwhelmed. Something is happening in the mortal world that is causing them to die at such an alarming rate and I don’t know what it is. All they murmur about is cold and hunger. They aren’t very helpful when they’re like this.”  
Thanatos spoke from behind us. “I don’t know what it is, either. I haven’t been to the mortal world lately. I don’t know who we would speak to that would know.”  
“Athena,” I said firmly.  
Hades looked down at me. “Can she be trusted?”  
“Yes.”  
“Very well.” She turned to Thanatos. “Thanatos, speak with your sisters.”  
“But Hades… Are you sure that’s wise? You know how they can be…”  
“I’m sure. Tell the Keres their Lord calls for aid and they must bow to it. Tell them to look for Athena on their bloody battlefields and ask for information, but I want her written word.”  
“Is that all?”  
“That’s all.” Hades watched as darkness consumed him until he disappeared before she looked to me again. “I’m afraid I don’t think I’ll be home tonight. All of my resources will be going to help Charon.”  
“Is there anything I can do?”  
“No, but thank you,” Hades whispered into my hair as she rested her chin on my head for a brief moment. “Hecate, please take her home and then gather the others.”  
I hadn’t even known Hecate was here. Hades’ words stirred her from deep thoughts. “Of course. Come now, Persephone.” She held out her hand to me as Hades gave me a departing kiss on the forehead.  
Hecate dropped me off at the front door to the palace, but before she left, she took both my hands in hers. “Persephone, I know you’d like to help, but there isn’t anything you can do right now. Yes, this is sudden and very troubling, but it is not a threat to this place, or to us. We will be able to handle it, so please don’t try to sneak off and trek across the Underworld to find us.”  
My heart faltered in my chest, thinking I had been caught, but my smile never faltered. “What do you mean?”  
“I know you ride Hades’ horses at night.”  
I forced myself not to exhale in relief. “I know there isn’t anything I can do. Just… be careful, okay? All of you.”  
“We will.”  
“And you’ll tell me when Athena replies?”  
“Of course. Goodbye, Persephone. I’ll see you later.”  
Hades made true to her word and did not return that night, but I couldn’t help but be worried. What could be causing so many souls to die all at once, at least as many to startle Charon, Thanatos, and Hades in such a way?  
I took to studying in my reading room while Daeira tried to console me, though I could tell she was worried about Thanatos like I was worried about Hades. I had told her Hades sent him off to speak with the Keres so they could get a discrete message to Athena. She paced back and forth anxiously while I read until my sight made the words blur in the firelight.  
I finally decided to retire, but even then, I couldn’t fall asleep. I tossed and turned in bed, unused to being the only one in it. After a few hellish hours, I must have mercifully drifted to sleep, but I stirred when Hades entered my room, my power sensing her approach before she ever did.  
I watched her undress in the low light before she crawled into my open arms with a heavy sigh. “Are you okay?”  
“Exhausted, but yes.” She murmured into my chest. “It takes massive amounts of energy to transport them, as you well know, and there were so many. We got it sorted out, but more keep coming. I had to ask a few deities to stay to help Charon, but something is different.”  
“Oh?”  
“It seems as though the power of the Underworld is being diverted elsewhere, but I don’t know who would be tapping into it as much as they are.” I stilled under her, but she was too tired to notice. “I’ll have to ask around, but it’s probably nothing. It happens, sometimes. The Underworld does want it wants with its power, although a little extra help from it would have been greatly appreciated tonight.”  
“Did you receive word from Athena yet?”  
“No, I don’t suspect any of the Keres will be able to find her that fast. You can never guess where Athena will be, if she’s fighting at the war front or taking a break to pursue her studies. So, it might be a few days. This hasn’t happened for ages, so it’s very troubling, but we’ll be no worse for wear, especially after tonight…” She trailed off and began breathing deeper.  
“What do you mean?”  
“Hmmm? Oh… the more souls the Underworld takes, the stronger it gets. In turn, the chthonic deities get even more power from it. Don’t fear, Persephone, everything is going to be fine.”  
She was asleep in a matter of moments after she finished speaking, but I was wide awake. They could tell someone else was using chthonic power, which was unfortunate for me, though I believe I would be the last person they would suspect to be the culprit. I wasn’t too worried about that because Hades was half asleep when she was telling me and would most likely forget about questioning the others.  
What Hades told me about the chthonic power was chilling… and exciting. That meant the chthonic deities had unlimited power, forever, because the only thing the mortals do well is dying in one way or another.  
If the chthonic deities had unlimited power, so did I. I could never have imagined coming here would result in this way and I still did not know why the Underworld decided to grace me with its gift, but I planned on finding out.  
I was becoming a venerable goddess, something I had always secretly coveted, and when I decided to reveal myself, I would be feared.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persephone is invited to meet Nyx and Erebus, which only raises more questions. Persephone plots to find answers.

Hades was gone when I woke the following morning and I was glad for it. I was absolutely crackling with power, my grip on it must have loosened in my sleep. When I reined it in, I groaned from exertion and something akin to pain. The rest of the day was uneventful and lonely, with Hades returning in the dead of night and exhausted again, but when I woke up the next morning, she was still in bed with me and she showed me exactly how sorry she was for her absence.  
She had to leave, but I was still shaking so badly I couldn’t chase after her if I tried.  
I was still recovering and breathing heavily when the twins walked into my room through the open door, looked at me sprawled naked across my bed, and stopped short. Anything they had planned on saying stuck in their throats.  
“It’s polite to knock, you know.” I laughed breathlessly and hurriedly threw a sheet over me.  
Hypnos supplied a strained excuse of, “The door was open…”  
“That’s because Hades just left.”  
Hypnos and Thanatos looked at each other before Thanatos said, “Please don’t tell Hades about this. She would tear our eyes out.”  
“I can nearly feel her wrath already, but it was decidedly worth it. You are even more flawless than I imagined, oh great goddess.”  
I raised my eyebrow at Hypnos’ remark and stood, the sheet wrapped securely around me, to find a decent peplos to wear. “I see you two have made up, for the most part. What did you want?”  
“Well, we wanted to know if you’d like to meet our mother.”  
“What?”  
“You know, Nyx, the great protogenos of night, our mother.”  
I gave Hypnos a dry stare before ducking into the bathroom to clean myself and slip into the peplos. “I’m well aware of who your mother is, Hypnos. What I don’t understand is why you’re inviting me to visit her.”  
“We just figured you might be interested in meeting her. She’d like to meet you.”  
“Why does she want to meet me?”  
“Hypnos may have mentioned you once, or twice, or a hundred times.”  
I heard Hypnos whisper furiously to Thanatos and then Thanatos yelped.  
“How disappointed you must have been when you realized I favored the company of women.” I chuckled as I finished clipping the fibulae in place and returned to the room.  
“How much do you favor the company of women?” There was a glimmer of hope in his eyes.  
I decided to crush it. “Completely.”  
Hypnos gasped and placed his hand to his chest. “It’s as if you have stabbed me in the heart, Persephone. What with the way you led me on, how positively cruel and heartless of you.”  
I threw back my head and laughed. “I did nothing of the sort and you know it. Well, let’s be on our way.”  
“What?”  
“I don’t know about the two of you, but I don’t want to keep a protogenos waiting.”  
Nyx’s home was surprisingly small and simple compared to the other abodes I had visited here, made out of the same dark and sparkling stone as Hades’ palace, but with few embellishments. The front door opened before we even knocked and I raised an eyebrow to the twins.  
“We’re expected.”  
Even before we entered, I could sense power, a lot of it. It made the air heavy and was so strong I could nearly taste it as I swallowed. However, I could tell there were two distinct sources and neither power was the same chthonic that swirled beneath my skin, or the twins’. They seemed to be familiar with the place as they led me to a sitting room.  
Nyx was sitting on a lounge and reading a book when we came in. I was only able to catch glimpses of her profile between the darkness that was circling around her, raven dark hair cut short to her chin and a small, straight nose. She did not look up from her book as she spoke. “You’re on time for once, boys. I must say I’m surprised. Is it because of your friend?”  
“Mother, there’s someone I’d like you to meet…” Thanatos started.  
“The last time I heard that, it was your brother introducing Pasithea as his new wife and we know how well that turned out.”  
“Mother, you wound me,” Hypnos exaggerated and sighed. “This is Persephone, the one I’ve been telling you…”  
Nyx snapped the book shut and looked at me, her violet eyes wide. “You’re our new neighbor?” The mist stopped swirling and came together to push her off the lounge and float her closer to us.  
My power certainly did not do that.  
When her feet were firmly planted on the stone in front of me, I was surprised to see that the top of her head barely came to my chin, and I was not a tall woman. I could tell that her power, which was nearly suffocating in its relaxed state, clearly made up for her short stature.  
“You’re Hades’ lover, are you not?”  
“I am.” I wasn’t entirely sure why everyone was so intrigued about Hades’ having a lover, other than it must have been a long time since the last one, if she’d ever had one. I never talked with her about such matters.  
“I’m pleased to see neither of my sons got to you first. They’re perfect gentlemen, at least until they’ve bedded the object of their brief affection, or so I’ve heard. Hypnos, especially.” She glanced sharply at them.  
“Mother, I thought you said you weren’t going to be rude to us in front of her.”  
“I promised nothing. You should quit being rude to your lovers, if you know what’s good for you.” She turned her chin and murmured to the darkness next to her. “Philtatos, don’t you want to meet Hades’...”  
The mist condensed and solidified until it was a man, perfectly flesh-toned and normal, luminous with immortality.  
“Father?” Thanatos gasped beside me, apparently shocked to see him.  
“Persephone, I would like you to meet my consort, Erebus.”  
Erebus was one of the Protogenoi, like Nyx, but the primordial god of darkness. He must have been the other power I had been sensing, though it hit me in full force when he materialized. He nodded his head to me slowly, as if getting used to his body again. His features resembled Nyx, other than the fact he was extremely tall. Nyx touched her fingers to his cheek lovingly.  
“You haven’t been corporeal for centuries…”  
“Persephone, I’m getting the feeling that our parents like you better than they do us.”  
“You two, go speak with your father elsewhere. I know you have been wanting to.”  
The men all left the room, but Hypnos stayed in the doorway long enough to say, “Mother, I beg you, please refrain from telling her anything too embarrassing about us.”  
When he was gone, Nyx touched my chin lightly to make me look at her. “My, my, what antics Ananke and her Moirai must have been up to when they made your fate so… conflicting.”  
“What do you mean?” I asked but I glanced down between us and gasped. My power was seeping out of my skin without my consent, the darkness solidifying into its armor over my peplos. Tendrils of darkness slithered across the floor, writhing and alive.  
She smiled knowingly as she removed her hand from my chin and my power snapped back into place, concealed under the surface of my sunny exterior. I shuddered slightly, afraid because she had the power to unleash my own and that I had not even felt it.  
“Erebus and I already know of your powers. How could we not? Just as you can feel our power here, we can feel yours wherever you are in the Underworld, like a beacon. To think little Demeter’s daughter would turn into a chthonic deity…”  
“How did you know? Do the others…”  
“No, my sons, Hecate, and Hades, do not. You have done an admirable job of concealing it, although I don’t know why you’re going to such lengths to deceive them. However, it isn’t my place to interfere with that.”  
“That is my business.”  
“So it is.” Nyx raised an eyebrow. “Your friends wield the Underworld’s power like you, and perhaps they are too used to it to properly notice. Even you must realize you are a highly unlikely candidate for it, especially so soon.”  
“I’m aware.”  
“You see, all of us, except Tartarus, were not made for this realm. Yes, we’ve all been here so long we could blend into the rocks if we wished, but we have adapted to it. You have not merely adapted. You are something else.”  
“I’m something else? I don’t suppose you would know, or tell me plainly if you did.” I stared her down with as serious look as I could muster against such a powerful goddess.  
Nyx smirked. “I don’t. Believe me, young one, I wish I did.”  
“Should I speak with the Moirai, then?”  
“They will be the only ones that will provide you with the answers you seek. I suppose Ananke could as well, but she’s notoriously hard to reach, even for the Protogenoi.”  
“Alecto said I should wait for her to instruct me on how to speak with them.”  
“I doubt you would really need to. The Moirai aren’t as bad as they’re made out to be. From what I hear, you seem capable.”  
“What do you mean by that?”  
“Erebus does not usually take solid form, not anymore. For the Protogenoi, it is easy for us to shed our bodies and spread our consciousness far, more easy than it is to actually maintain shape, if you would believe that. Your parents were some of the first of their generation, but they are not old enough to have this ability. Perhaps the older Titans are, but their chains keep them otherwise indisposed.” A corner of Nyx’s mouth uplifted, barely enough to notice. I suppose she wasn’t fond of my grandfather, either.  
“Then do you do the same as Erebus?”  
“No. I happen to be fond of this form, as is Erebus.” Her lips spread into a knowing smile. “He is everywhere in the Underworld and he observes much. Your late excursions with Hades’ horses and elsewhere were brought to my attention early on. He tells me you show aptitude for your new power, and you are able to access much of it.”  
“I wouldn’t know. I have never seen your sons or the others really exhibit much of their power. There hasn’t been a reason for them to, I suppose.”  
“Let us be thankful for that, hm? Sometimes my boys spend decades fighting and it’s rather… draining, to say the least. Hades does her best to mediate, but she can only do so much, and both of them are terribly willful.”  
“I care for her, but even I can see she has flaws, regardless if I want to or not.”  
“You don’t strike me as the woman to favor ignorance.”  
“No, I’m not,” I mused. “I’ve been wrestling with my conscience lately, with knowing of her secrets, and keeping mine. Perhaps I’m just being spiteful.”  
“I don’t think that matters. Do you?”  
“Not especially.”  
“I admit I am rather curious as to what the Moirai will tell you. Things have been changing since you arrived, which hardly ever happens, so do come visit me again with news.” Nyx’s eyes flicked to the door behind me in warning.  
“Are we allowed back yet, Mother?”  
“Yes.”  
“You should show Persephone the thing.”  
“What?”  
“You know,” Hypnos wiggled his fingers. “The thing. I think she’ll like it.”  
She must have realized what he meant because she murmured, “Oh.”  
Thanatos stood beside me and inclined his head towards mine. “She used to do this for us when we were children.”  
“Erebus, if you would.” Nyx nodded to him.  
He had been standing erect and immobile by the door, his arms clasped behind his back, but he relaxed. He waved his hand and darkness fell across the room, the flickering shadows thickening until the darkness swelled to encompass the room completely. Even the light that emanated from under our skin, a constant glow I didn’t usually register, was blotted out. I waved a hand in front of my face and I couldn’t see it at all.  
Thanatos, my shoulder against his arm, must have felt the breeze from the movement and chuckled. “Dark, huh?”  
The darkness was then pierced by thousands of tiny and dim orbs of light, spread throughout the room. Most were white, but a few were the pale echoes of proper colors. I reached out and batted a hand at one of the lights, expecting my hand to pass right through it, but surprised when it caught in my palm.  
“It’s not fire?”  
“No.”  
“Stars, then? Like the night sky?”  
Hypnos moved to the other side of me, him and his brother standing at my side as my friends, but it felt more like personal guards. It was strange to think that they, indeed, most likely thought I was something that needed protection. I fought to not clench the fist at my side.  
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”  
“It’s gorgeous.” The stars moved when I tried to touch them.  
“It is a good way to distract infants… It’s been so long since the two of you were children.” Nyx looked over her sons fondly, then to Erebus.  
“It has,” he nodded in agreement and the corner of his mouth upturned in a smile, his eyes distant, as if focused on a memory.  
Inaudibly, I sucked in a breath when I realized that this is how a family should be. Nyx and Erebus loved each other, and they both loved their children, unlike so many of the other deities, unlike my own parents.  
Thanatos chuckled nervously. “Well, it’s a good thing you didn’t just stop with us!”  
“Speaking of which, how’s Hemera?”  
Nyx rolled her eyes heavily. “As if you really care, darling. You’d come visit when she’s here if you did.”  
Erebus’ darkness and Nyx’s stars faded away, the shadows retreating to the corners of the room before disappearing entirely and the flames of the torches flickering merrily because they had never been put out, only covered.  
We socialized and drank wine together, lounging around the room and talking for several hours before Nyx finally shooed us off. The reason was clear as day to me.  
Erebus and Nyx had started slowly gravitating towards each other as time progressed, until they were in each other’s arms on a lounge. They stayed like that, perfectly content in their embracing, for quite some time. Eventually, I began to notice that hands had discreetly started wandering over each other’s skin, deliberately teasing movements that were almost too slow and too slight for me to detect.  
I couldn’t blame them and if I understood anything at all, I understood longing. If they really loved each other and it had been centuries since Erebus took form, they must be desperate for each other.  
The sounds, although muffled, started as soon as we were out of the room.  
I turned to the boys with a raised eyebrow.  
The tips of their ears had already started turning pink.  
“I don’t think I’m going to come back for at least another decade.”  
Thanatos nodded his agreement. “Hemera is on her own.”  
They looped their arms through mine after getting into an argument about who got to open the door for me, which I settled by opening it myself. “The both of you are absolutely ridiculous and even though she’s immortal, I don’t know how your mother doesn’t have gray hair from worry.”  
“Persephone, are you saying there’s something wrong with gray hair? I’m wounded.” Hypnos ran his free hand through his white hair dramatically.  
“I think your hair is lovely, although I’m wondering where you get the shade from. Clearly not your parents.”  
“This color? It’s just a glamor.”  
Deities could change their appearance and forms at will, though most didn’t feel the need to because we were all beautiful in our own right.  
“My brother likes to change his hair color frequently.”  
“Whereas he,” Hypnos pointed a finger at Thanatos, “is boring and thinks he should keep up the appearance of death by being dark and brooding.”  
Thanatos scoffed.  
“Well, why do you change yours?”  
Hypnos ran his hands through his hair again and it, as well as his eyebrows and eyelashes, changed to the same shade of black that his parents and twin shared.  
I looked between them quickly, my eyes widening as I realized how perfectly identical they were and how I could no longer tell the difference between them. It was unnerving to think about how they could switch places with each other if they wished and I wouldn’t be the wiser. “That is… strange.”  
“Yes, well, as you can see, we’d rather not get confused by other people.”  
“I think you’d look good with brown hair. The white hair is a bit dramatic, but knowing you, I guess that certainly fits.”  
Thanatos laughed at my slight. “I have to agree.”  
Hypnos’ hair changed to brown, a dark but warm color. “What do you think?”  
“I like it, but I have a favor to ask.”  
“Anything for you, fair Persephone.” Hypnos bowed dramatically at the waist.  
“As long as it doesn’t include anything on the list Hades made!” Thanatos piped up.  
I looked at my bare arms in contrast to the twins’. “I am not fair,” I laughed but quieted and eyed Thanatos. “What list? Do you mean to tell me that Hades actually made a list of things I couldn’t or shouldn’t do?”  
Thanatos rubbed the back of his neck and looked away from me in avoidance. “Well…”  
“I feel like a child now, thanks.” I snapped and then calmed myself. “I was wondering if you could leave me with the Erinyes. I’d like to see Alecto.”  
“Will it be a quick one again?” Thanatos asked.  
Hypnos side-eyed him.  
“No, I’d like you to just leave me there. Even if Alecto isn’t home, I’ll have one of her sisters bring me back to the palace. There’s no need to worry. I believe I’m in their good graces.”  
“The Erinyes don’t have good graces.”  
“But I’m friends with Alecto. I doubt they’ll hold me captive or turn me over to Zeus or something.” I rolled my eyes. “And if Hades is worried about something else hurting me, I’m positive the Erinyes are more than capable of protecting me.”  
“You can’t expect us to lie to Hades for you, you know.”  
“If she asks, tell her where I am. I don’t mind. I don’t have anything to hide by being there.”  
The twins looked more than a little uneasy about my request, Thanatos even more so. I was sure he was going to get interrogated by his brother later.  
“Oh, come on, am I to be imprisoned in the palace now? Everyone is gone all the time and it’s dreadfully boring.”  
“Well, fine. We’ll take you.”  
Their power sprung up from the ground and deposited us on the door of the Erinyes’. I untangled my arms from theirs and gave them both a quick kiss on the cheek.  
“Brother, I think we can die of happiness now. Lady Persephone has bestowed us with her kiss.” Hypnos clapped his brother on the back with a cheeky grin spreading across his face.  
Thanatos gave a slight smile and waved me off.  
I knocked on the door as they left, their power fading into the distance. The door had not opened, so I frowned and knocked again.  
I figured at least one of them had to be home, or the mysterious Arae I had heard about, but the Underworld’s quiet started to bother me. The thought of just entering without invitation was quickly squashed. I may be friends with Alecto, but I didn’t want to break into their home and face their wrath.  
I was about to knock again when it finally opened.  
“Oh, it’s you. I thought it was the twins. I could have sworn I felt them around here somewhere…” Megaera peered behind me with guarded eyes.  
“They had to drop me here. I sent them off. Mind if I come inside?”  
“My sister isn’t home.” She said but opened the door and let me step inside.  
“I gathered. She’s a busy one, isn’t she? When do I get to meet Tisiphone? Why are you always here?”  
“Apparently, they’re always busy and I’m the one who gets to answer the door when you come calling for Alecto.” Megaera sighed heavily and rolled her eyes, closing the door behind me with an echoing bang.  
“Will she be back soon?”  
“I believe so. You can wait in her rooms, but please, if you have any good sense about you, don’t go… wandering. The Arae have been bored lately and I assume you’d rather not be cursed. I’ll be leaving shortly.”  
“I seem to have enough bad luck as it is, so you would assume right.” I glanced down at Megaera’s attire, leather armor that was clearly molded against her form, completed with a sword at her hip. “So you are.”  
“You’re very observant.”  
“Want to see my armor?” I grinned playfully.  
She looked at my black peplos, clearly not impressed. “Is the peplos actually glamored armor?”  
“No.” My tight grip on my power loosened and it felt like opening a fist that had been clenched too long. Darkness rippled outward before solidifying around my extremities and chest, completely enveloping my peplos and forming its flawless back armor.  
Megaera took a step back to gauge my appearance. “That’s a neat trick, but that must be glamor.”  
“I don’t think…”  
Megaera lunged at me with the speed of a striking viper, somehow drawing her sword without me seeing. I didn’t have enough time to form a weapon of my own, but my power instinctively went to reinforce my chest plate before her sword struck. The force knocked some breath out of me, but the sword didn’t pierce the armor.  
“That wasn’t quite fair. I wasn’t prepared.”  
“Quit whining. You’re fine.” Megaera laughed as she turned towards the door.  
I summoned the darkness in my palm in the shape of a small blade and threw it at Megaera’s retreating figure. It flew through the space between her head and shoulder and sank into the door before dissolving as a warning. She whirled on me. “If you want to spar, young one, you only need to ask.”  
A sleek black sword materialized in my hand, in the shape of Megaera’s. “Have some extra time?”  
“Other than the sword, keep your powers in check, or I’ll be forced to use mine to level the playing field.”  
“Oh, now you’re worried about playing fair.”  
She didn’t waste any time lunging at me, but I was ready. I countered with my sword and sidestepped to shift the momentum. We both lunged, countered, dodged, and feinted certain attacks in attempts to trick each other for several minutes, clashing together with metallic clanging, regardless if my sword was truly metal or not.  
“You know, you’re surprisingly better than I thought you would be.”  
“I don’t know if that’s an insult or a compliment.”  
Megaera grinned as she lunged again. She was an aggressor. “Both.”  
I countered, but our swords scraped together inches between our separated faces. “Sorry to disappoint. I’m not that easy to defeat.”  
“I do like a challenge. Who trained you? Surely not Demeter.”  
My laugh was more of a bark, humorless. “No, not Demeter. It was my sisters, Athena and Artemis.”  
“That certainly explains it. You do show much of Athena’s influence.”  
“Thank you.”  
“That wasn’t a compliment, either.” Megaera withdrew slightly and I lunged at an opening, but she caught me between foot movements and tripped me so I fell backwards onto the stone, my head snapping back against the surface with a loud crack. I was dazed as she pressed the tip of her sword to the skin of my throat. “It’s predictable.”  
“I yield,” I muttered, my sword dissipating, and rubbed the back of my head. “That actually hurts.”  
Megaera sheathed her sword with a flourish. “That was a fun little exercise. The more experience you get, the more resourceful you have to be. You’ll learn to have your own fighting style eventually.”  
“Thanks,” I said sarcastically and stood as I inspected my fingers for any trace of ichor, worried I had split my head with the fall. Hades certainly wouldn’t be happy about me coming home maimed.  
“You weren’t bad. You’d be able to hold your own. I should be going now. See yourself into Alecto’s rooms.”  
“Should I wish you good luck, tell you to have fun, or will a simple goodbye suffice?”  
Megaera paused at the door. “A goodbye is fine. I’m sure we’ll meet again.”  
I didn’t rein in my power but let it flow freely as I walked to Alecto’s room. The darkness slithered around my feet and I started to think it sounded like whispering before I realized that must be the Arae.  
“Hello,” I called out uncertainly. “I’m a friend of Alecto’s and I’m not sure if Megaera likes me or not, but I’d rather not be cursed, if you wouldn’t mind.”  
The whispering faded away and I took that as a good sign as I ducked into Alecto’s darkened room. I lit all the torches and the wood in the fireplace with a wave of my hand. My power trailed after me as I crossed the room and opened the doors to the balcony to lounge in the cool air after my little match Megaera.  
I realized she never specified when Alecto was coming back, so I played with fire idly and helped myself to the wine on a nearby table. I had been drinking all day, but there was nothing else to do while I waited.  
Eventually heard footsteps approaching from the hall and turned my attention to the door. Alecto came through it, not noticing that her room was already lit, but I was more shocked that she was practically covered in blood.  
Some of it was dried into her already red hair, but some was still dripping off the edges of her armor, leaving a smeared trail of blood in her wake.  
“The colors suits you.”  
Alecto whirled and threw a knife in the direction of the sound, which was my face. I thought of Artemis being able to catch the arrow the last time I had seen her. Time seemed to slow as it approached, or at least I was able to see it clearly enough to be able to pluck it from the air by its hilt before its aim struck true.  
“Well, that wasn’t very nice. I thought we were friends.”  
“Persephone?” Alecto’s eyes widened and then she started cursing as she caught her breath. “Don’t sneak up on me! I could have hurt you! What are you even doing here?”  
“I need to go to the Moirai. Soon.”  
“I can’t go tonight.”  
“It’s driving me mad, Alecto. The twins took me to see their parents earlier today and Nyx knew about this,” I waved around to exaggerated how my darkness settled like a rolling mist across the entire room. “I have to know what this means, what the secrets are.”  
Alecto sighed as she went into the bathroom and drew a bath. “I understand that, Persephone, but I have responsibilities. I am often busy, and right now, I’m exhausted and covered in blood.”  
“I see you really weren’t joking about killing people. Messy business today?”  
“I had my hands full.”  
“Who was it?”  
“Oh, I don’t know. I just go where I’m told.”  
“Charming.”  
“I expect the Judges will be seeing him very soon.” Alecto’s laugh echoed out of the bathroom. “I do not miss the irony of how the souls follow me to the Underworld, when I choose to return.”  
Alecto made quick work of bathing and washing the blood from… everything. It was clear that the act was practiced and she was used to doing it. She emerged from the bathroom in a peplos, damp hair tied in a knot at the base of her neck. She took a seat beside me on the balcony.  
“I see you got into some of my wine.”  
I tipped my glass towards her. “There wasn’t anything else to do while I was waiting for you.”  
She poured a very full glass for herself. “Why was there a hole in my front door?”  
“My fault. Megaera and I sparred.”  
She raised her eyebrows as she took a drink of her wine. “How did that go?”  
“She won, but it was fun.”  
“That’s nice. I see it’s been hard for you to contain your power as of late.” Her eyes swept across the room slowly, watching the darkness undulate on the floor as it spread into the hallway and fell between the railing of the balcony.  
“It has been difficult. Nyx touched me and unleashed it without my knowing earlier. I don’t like… not being in control of myself. Not knowing what I am or what any of this means…” I sighed heavily. “I thought after I fled from Zeus I would finally have choices, finally be able to direct my own fate, but I was wrong. I need answers, Alecto. I can’t wait anymore. It’s getting harder and harder to control as it grows and I don’t want anything to happen. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”  
“Has the rate of death slowed?”  
“Increased.” I rubbed my temple. “Hades has had to assign people to help Charon day and night. The more that arrive, the harder it gets. The other morning I woke and it had escaped in my sleep. I feel like I just keep repeating myself when I talk to you. So, Alecto, I’m begging you. This can’t wait any longer.”  
Alecto set her goblet down and looked at me fully, her gaze firm but searching. “I can’t go tonight.”  
“What about tomorrow? Hades will be gone during the day.”  
“I don’t…”  
“Alecto, if you don’t take me, I’ll go by myself.”  
“Oh? How do you suppose you’ll get there?”  
“I’m resourceful. I doubt that would be an issue.” A smile ghosted across my lips as I thought of my misadventure to the mortal world.  
“You’re impossible.”  
“And by that, I hope you mean impossible to refuse.” I smirked as I took another drink of wine. My head was starting to spin.  
Alecto threw her head back and laughed, strands of drying hair escaping from the knot. She cursed my name lightly as she took another drink of wine. “Fine, Persephone! Fine!”  
“Tomorrow?” I raised my glass to her.  
She clinked her glass against mine as a promise. “Tomorrow.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persephone visits the Fates and finally receives answers.

Daeira jumped to her feet as I passed by her room. “My lady! There you are!”  
I paused in the doorway with what I hoped wasn’t a guilty smile. “Have you been missing me, Daeira?”  
“Where did you sneak off to?”  
“The twins took me to meet their parents, oddly enough.” I craned my neck to peer into my room to see if Hades was waiting for me. It was dark, which meant she wasn’t.  
“Nyx and Erebus? What are they like?”  
“Honestly? They’re very nice. Erebus is quiet. Nyx is surprisingly… small.”  
“Small?”  
“You know, short, petite, extremely so. Regardless, she was amazing. She is very powerful and formidable and it’s… frightening.” I moved to my room, lighting the torches and the fireplace, and Daeira moved to follow me. “Is Hades home yet?”  
“No, not that I know of. Didn’t the twins come inside with you?” She looked down the hallway before entering my room.  
Her question meant they hadn’t come back here after they left me at the Erinyes’, which meant I didn’t need to tell Daeira of my whereabouts. Good.  
“No, they had something to do, I think. You never really know with them.” I waved flippantly as I settled into a lounge and poured wine for myself. It was one of those days, I decided. I drank it quickly. I needed it to calm my nerves, but not enough to become malleable. I couldn’t afford to slip up with my power, or my secrets, not when I was so close to finding out the truth.  
Tomorrow.  
I chewed on my lip as I thought about Hades coming home, crawling into my bed, kissing me, and making love to me as if nothing was wrong, when it was wrong.  
I think that was what troubled me so much. The lying that she did, the lying that I did, and the pretending we both did to make it seem like everything is fine.  
I was here in hiding while my own family razed the mortal world and killed and searched, all for me, all for my sick father. I was doing nothing to help, the mortals or Hades, when I was fully aware that I could.  
Instead, I was hiding in the maze of Hades’ palace, burying myself between Hades’ pale thighs night after night in some vain, pleasurable way to trick myself into forgetting. How could I bear to look Hades’ in the eyes and smile, or press my lips to hers and whisper sweet nothings in her ear?  
My stomach churned while I fingered the stem of my glass.  
How had I let my heart soften to Hades when I knew she was hiding things from me, just like all the others?  
Another part of me tugged at the last thought, arguing that no, Hades was not like the others.  
I threw my glass at the stone wall, watched the glass shatter into countless sharp pieces and the wine pool on the floor, and heard Daeira gasp at it.  
“My lady?”  
I didn’t respond as I continued to watch the wine, darker than blood in the firelight, and the shards glint like the gems that Hades always wore. I looked away, nauseated, and rested my forehead in my hand.  
“I’ll go get something to clean it up.”  
I listened to her footsteps fade away, savoring how cold my hand was compared to my flushed forehead, before I raised my head and flung out my hand towards the broken glass. I only let a small trickle of power out and watched as the glass shards came together and reformed the goblet, as if it hadn’t been broken at all. I raised the spilled wine and flung it into the fireplace as the glass came closer to rest on the table, the flames sputtering as it was smothered by the liquid.  
I savored the precise movements and the control I had over the glass and the wine. I was desperate for control of any kind.  
When Daeira returned, I had already poured more wine into the glass and was drinking from it.  
Daeira searched where the glass and wine had been and turned to me, a question on her open mouth. “Where did…”  
“I cleaned it up. I’m sorry that you went all the way to wherever for nothing.”  
“But the glass… the wine… What did you clean it up with?” Daeira set the supplies down and stalked over to me, picking up my hands. She inspected my fingertips for signs of glass or wine.  
“Daeira, it’s fine. I’m tired. Please leave. I’m afraid I won’t be very good company.” I heard footsteps in the hall, heavier than Hades’. “Perhaps Markos would be a better candidate.”  
He paused at the doorway and scowled at me. “I heard that, my lady.”  
“It was my gift to you, Markos. Enjoy.” I raised the glass to him in a mocking way.  
He narrowed his eyes, but breathed a heavy sigh, evident because of the way his shoulders moved. “I don’t think Hades will be returning tonight until late, if at all.” He spun on his heel and walked away.  
Daeira glanced at me and followed him. I heard their muffled whispering start in the hallway.  
The news Markos brought was meant to upset me, but it did the opposite. I hoped Hades wouldn’t return tonight because I couldn’t face her, even if it was being cowardly.  
I finished my glass of wine before standing abruptly. I was itching with nervous energy but I knew I couldn’t slip away and expend some of it. If Erebus had been watching me without my knowing, who or what else could have been?  
I walked to my reading room and grabbed a book from the pile of unread material I had started, but I looked at the lounges and shook my head. I tucked the book under my arm and took to wandering aimlessly around the palace in the dim light, watching my shadow stretch and shrink as I passed torches.  
I paused at one of the many covered bridges. A waterfall roared overhead and disappeared into nothingness below. I could feel the cool spray of it on my face and see the puddles of water that collected on the railing. I don’t know why I stopped, but it was calming here. I rested my temple against a slick column and felt the cold seeping into my skin, hoping it would clear my head.  
I felt like I was suffocating under this secret, and the straining power didn’t help. I was feverish, something akin to what the mortals call sickness, and a tremor passed through my body from the temperature difference.  
How had I changed this much?  
I used to be a girl ready to give up when she felt the earth pressing down on her, even before entering the Underworld, a girl who shivered for weeks against the cold unless she was bundled by a fire, a girl who strained for scraps of sunlight, a girl of little significance.  
Now, the darkness claimed me as its own. It had marked my appearance, darkening my hair and eyes, and willingly gave me its power. It continued to do so. I summoned fire and death as easily as I had grown flowers for the desperate, naive want of approval from my family.  
But those were superficial changes, to appearance, to power, to body. I wondered if I had changed as a person.  
Had I always been someone would deceive those I cared about?  
I cut the thought off as my mouth drew into a resigned line.  
Yes, I had.  
Perhaps I had truly not changed, but instead grew into the goddess I was supposed to be. I had always been dark, with my cynicism and malice towards my family, though I wisely chose to hide it. Even my powers over plants had felt… misplaced. I hadn’t noticed because it was expected of Demeter’s daughter, but that was never me. I had always felt useless and discontented.  
Maybe… the darkness, and all it possessed, suited me.  
I hurriedly pushed that thought away, too, because it couldn’t be true. I was never supposed to come to the Underworld. I was supposed to stay in Olympus, or the mortal world, at the very least, and make things grow. None of this was ever supposed to happen. It had all just been some cruel twist of fate.  
Fate.  
I growled at the word, swiping my arm in frustration. The book fell, forgotten, at my feet. Flames flew from my fingertips and spurted against the waterfall, steam rising in choking clouds. I didn’t know whether I wanted to laugh or to cry.  
I slid down the solid stone of the ledge, leaning the back of my head against it to feel the water pounding, just like my heartbeat.  
“Tomorrow,” I tried to make my voice sound sure, but it cracked. “Tomorrow I will have my answers.”  
I bowed my head between my knees and listened to the waterfall drown out my suffocating thoughts as my peplos grew heavy with the moisture in the air and I felt water seep through the cloth beneath me. Every so often, water droplets would rain down in my hair and snake their way down the planes of my face, like tears. It didn’t bother me enough to move. I stayed there for quite some time, what could have been mere minutes or hours, savoring how the lack of silence made me silent. I felt like I could finally breathe. The waterfall calmed me and my power, until I hardly thought of it, or anything, at all.  
When I felt myself drifting into what could only be sleep, I dragged myself up and drifted like a ghost through the palace and into my rooms, discarding the wet peplos on the floor and sliding into sheets the same temperature as my cool skin. I smothered all the torches and the fireplace in my room and finally let myself sink into sleep.  
Sometime during the night, approaching footsteps stirred me.  
“It seems you forgot this, Persephone,” Hades whispered, which was followed by a light thump as the book was set on a table. I heard the systematic plink, plink, plink as Hades unclipped and dropped her fibulae, the swish of fabric falling to the ground.  
I tried not to show anything, not to swallow the lump forming in my throat, and pretended I was still too asleep to notice.  
She slid into bed with me, pressing her naked frame against my own as her arm wound around my torso and she brushed the hair away to be able to kiss the skin on my neck, repeatedly.  
I shivered. There was no way I could pretend to be asleep now.  
One of Hades’ hand strayed, moving along the line of my hip, down the side of my thigh, with only one purpose in mind.  
Before her hand could slip between my thighs and find the wetness that betrayed me, I pushed her hand away. “Hades, I’m exhausted.”  
Beside me, Hades noticeably stiffened. I had never refused her before. Even now, half of me didn’t want to. Images of all the things we’ve done together while making love, memories or dreams, flashed behind my eyelids. After several moments, Hades finally relaxed and pressed a light kiss to my shoulder. “That’s fine. Goodnight, Persephone.”  
“Goodnight.”  
Hades moved away from me, but didn’t leave. She only shifted to the edge of the bed before growing still and I noticed from the way she was breathing that it didn’t take very long for her to fall asleep.  
On the other hand, I had a difficult time falling asleep. Hades’ touch had completely woken every fiber of my body and made my nauseating guilt resurface as well. I didn’t dare toss or turn for fear of waking her, so I focused on my breathing.  
In.  
Out.  
In.  
I started wondering if Hades had as much trouble containing her power as I did.  
Out.  
She must have much more than I did after being here for so long.  
In.  
If she did, she didn’t show it, but then again, neither did I.  
Out.  
I wondered what could have happened if I had just confided in Hades, if she could have helped me manage the chthonic power better. The answer was most likely a definite yes, but I had been so stubborn.  
I still was being stubborn.  
I could have woken her from sleep right then and told her everything, of my power, of knowing about the secrets, but I couldn’t, not when I was so close to finding out the truth for myself.  
I wished I could drown out my thoughts with the waterfall, but I couldn’t risk getting out of bed. It was a mercilessly long night, but all nights end.  
My eyes snapped open as soon as I woke, energized with the knowing of what this day held in its future. Carefully, I glanced over to the other side of the bed, but it was empty. A stretch of my arm revealed that it was cold as well. I took it as a blessing that she was gone. She would surely realize my dark mood with the guise of nighttime ripped away from me. I figured she was probably gone because I had slept late.  
I noticed the book Hades had left on the table in the middle of the night and looked away quickly, not wanting to remember.  
What was strange was that Daeira was not hovering, nor in her room when I checked.  
Nervous energy crackled under my skin like lightning as I bathed, dried myself, and stood in front of a mirror. I worried about what to wear.  
What did the Moirai expect of me? Nothing? Everything? Would they care about something so trivial such as clothing?  
Hades had gifted me with much, especially since becoming my lover. I had all the peploi and himations I could ever dream of, fabric dyed with rich colors and almost as soft as if it were woven by Athena herself. Each color had jeweled fibulae, arm bands, and necklaces to match, sapphires and opals set in silver, rubies and garnets set in bronze, and various colored diamonds set in gold.  
In the mirror, I twisted my hair into a coil at the base of my neck and pinned it there while I chewed on my lip and contemplated what to wear.  
“I should visit the palace more often. I’ve been told there are great views, but I didn’t expect this.”  
I grinned as I met Alecto’s eyes through the mirror. She leaned casually against the doorframe, wearing a simple peplos instead of her bloodsoaked armor.  
“I can’t decide on what to wear.”  
“It doesn’t matter. Wear whatever you’d like.”  
I decided on a blood red peplos and himation. I hesitated over the choice of jewelry, but chose black diamonds set in gold. I clipped the peplos and himation up with the fibulae and slowly slid the bands up to my biceps, the feeling ritualistic, steadying.  
My mind drifted back to a distant memory, sun glancing off white marble, watching Hera as she sat in front of the grand mirror in her room. I was still a child in this memory.  
“Kore,” she started.  
Everyone had called me Kore back then. It only became an insult the older I grew, how strange it had been for all the Olympians knowing I was still a maiden, still unmarried, without pledging myself as a maiden goddess. I had become a thing of speculation and gossip.  
“You know your…” Hera paused to take a deep breath and fought to not grit her teeth. “Your sisters, Artemis and Athena.”  
Hera was less than welcoming to the children Zeus sired with other women, especially the half mortals, but I was the exception. It had been flattering and reassuring at the time. Hera acted as the closest thing to a mother that I had. I realized when I was older that it was only out of pity, because my mother, her sister, had all but abandoned me, but she still did love my flowers.  
“They are well to teach you how to defend yourself with weaponry and dress you up in armor, but they do not know everything. Warfare is not only fought on battlefields, with swords and shields, but sometimes in bedrooms and halls. Do you know what is also armor, especially for women?”  
I had shaken my head.  
Hera placed a jeweled crown upon her head, her spine straighter than an arrow, and turned to me. The gemstones in her rings caught the light as she drummed her fingers against her thigh. “Finery can be armor. A crown is a shield, and your tongue a weapon.”  
I looked down at my feet, which were small and bare.  
Suddenly, Hera was standing before me, placing her finger beneath my chin to make me look up at her. “Don’t look away from me, Kore. I know you know of what I speak. I see it as clearly as the day in your eyes. You are sharper than your siblings, you watch, you listen, you know things you’re not supposed to. Oh, yes, I know all about that, but you don’t need to be ashamed. You will learn how to wear silk as armor and how to cut down men with only words, and you will learn well.”  
Alecto’s hand on my shoulder dispelled the memory. She tied the diamond necklace around my throat, hovering over my shoulder to as she inspected my appearance in the mirror. “You look absolutely beautiful. Regal, even.”  
I smiled.  
She touched the himation gently. “I like the color, too.”  
“I have a feeling red is your favorite color.” I thought back to the trail of blood she left in her room the previous night.  
“Persephone, you know me so well!”  
I laughed. “I’m just glad you came today.”  
“Did you expect me not to? I honor my word.”  
“I hate to admit it, but I’m very worried.”  
“I’ll stay with you if they allow it. They might send me away, I’m not sure.” Alecto frowned and crossed her arms over her chest, thinking.  
“I’m surprised you came into the palace. Did anyone see you?”  
“Why? Are you afraid they have?” Alecto arched an eyebrow. “I didn’t think our meetings would be secret after today. Was I wrong?”  
It was my turn to frown. “No, I suppose not. I just… don’t know.”  
“Shall we be off then? I have a feeling you don’t want to wait around all day and neither do I.” Alecto offered me her arm to hold for reassurance, but she paused, looking at something over my shoulder.  
I turned to see. It was the table with the wine. I raised an eyebrow to Alecto.  
“Shall we have one drink?” She grinned. “For courage, of course.”  
I laughed but obliged her, following her to the table as she poured a glass for each of us.  
We toasted, our voices echoing off the stone walls, “Courage!”  
We drank.  
* * *  
“Remember, your questions need to be clear and concise. They like to… twist things and answer with riddles.” Alecto whispered in my ear as we stood outside what she had informed me was the Moirai’s residence, but looked suspiciously like a cave.  
It seemed even darker and more remote here, like this was some far and forgotten corner of the Underworld. Everything was still, which wasn’t unusual for this realm, but it felt different and strange. The air was slightly warmer than the rest of the Underworld, at least what I had visited, which only added to the unsettling aura surrounding the place.  
I eyed the cave’s mouth suspiciously. My first and only encounter with a cave had not been pleasant and, again, I had not dressed properly for cave diving.  
Alecto saw my look. “It’s not that bad. Trust me. Let’s go.” She tugged on my arm.  
I steeled myself for a moment, setting my shoulders and holding my header higher, and we descended.  
To my surprise, the cave had stairs carved from the ground and torches lined the smooth walls, one every few feet, which kept it extremely well lit. The walls glimmered with veins of precious stone and pieces of paint, most of it chipped away and faded from time. I clearly had been expecting the worst. I raised my eyebrows to Alecto.  
“I told you it’s not bad. They are goddesses, not monsters. They’re perfectly civilized, just a little odd. I suppose I would be, too, what with all the meddling and the… knowing.” Alecto grinned.  
Faint voices echoed from deeper in the cave. They were singing some pleasant tune, though it sounded distorted and lamenting against the stone.  
Alecto led me on, the sound of our steps mixing in with their singing. I fought not to shake from nerves. I couldn’t, not when Alecto was so sure beside me.  
The stairs ended to flat ground, completely smooth and even, and the cave opened into an elaborate underground temple. Lit candles were everywhere, half melted, wax filling cracks in the tile. Columns thicker than any tree trunks I’ve ever seen were carved out of the very earth and went up, up, up, to the high ceiling. Mosaics of glass, tiles, and gems covered the walls, depicting Chaos and the creation, the Titans overthrowing their predecessors, and the Titanomachy. Some of the mosaics were what looked to be old maps of the Underworld, its rivers carving through stone, Tartarus a black mark upon it.  
Alecto was looking around like I was and I wondered if she had never been here herself. She never faltered, her arm still wrapped around mine securely, but we had stopped before entering it.  
“Alecto,” I started.  
She turned to look at me. “Yes?”  
“Thank you for this.” I glanced around. “For taking me here, for keeping my secrets, for being a friend. A real one, I mean.” I grimaced.  
“Oh, Persephone. You were too intriguing to pass up.”  
“Did you think so when we first met, at Hypnos’ home?” I grinned at the memory.  
She smiled back. “Perhaps.”  
“Thank you,” I repeated, leaning over and kissing her on the mouth.  
She shivered, a slight tremor that made her pause, but her lips moved against mine as she kissed me back.  
I broke the kiss but didn’t move away, only resting my forehead against hers. I felt a great many things for Alecto; gratitude, kinship, trust, and caring that fell somewhere between friendship and something more. My heart was already so busy with Hades, I didn’t know what to say. I said nothing.  
Alecto drew in a ragged breath. “Maybe if we had met in another lifetime, before all of this.”  
“I would have been a child.” I grinned.  
Alecto chuckled a breathless laugh. “You aren’t that young. Besides, I’ll have you know, I’ve always been a fantastic lover.”  
It was my turn to laugh. “Alecto, again, thank you so much.”  
“I think you’re stalling, and doing an admirable job of it, I might add.”  
“Guilty.”  
She pulled me into the cavern and the Moirai’s singing promptly stopped, but the whispering started. I couldn’t make out any proper words. I stilled, but Alecto tugged me forward.  
The temple split off into many hallways, but Alecto stopped in the center of the room as three women, dressed in white himations and veiled, as Hades had been when I first met her, emerged. Alecto dropped my arm but she was still close enough for me to feel the heat of her body next to mine.  
“I told you she would come.”  
“We all knew she would come eventually, Atropos.”  
“We just didn’t know when.”  
“Well, it’s about time,” Atropos muttered.  
“Didn’t I say today? Pay up, Atropos, Clotho.”  
Atropos and Clotho each tossed a coin at the speaker, who had to be Lachesis.  
I remembered how I had spoken of betting on my fate with Hades and smiled. It seemed I wasn’t the only one who thought of it.  
“Welcome, Kore,” Atropos turned to us finally.  
“Persephone,” Lachesis corrected before I had to.  
“And Alecto,” Clotho murmured.  
My throat dried. I didn’t know what to say or what I could ask first.  
“What brings you here?” The three of them asked as one.  
I felt Alecto’s eyes on me, as if she meant to say, “I told you so.”  
“I… I have so many questions.”  
“Of course you do. Everyone who visits us does.”  
“But first, let us see you,” Clotho said clearly, her voice ringing.  
Atropos nodded her agreement as Lachesis added. “Let us see you as how you truly are.”  
I glanced sharply to Alecto, knowing that they must mean my power, something I never let go of.  
“You will not hurt her.”  
“Or us.”  
“Not unless you mean to.”  
I bit my lip and sighed, obliging them. I shuddered as I loosened my grip on the unruly power, my eyes closing from the strain of simply letting go. Even without seeing it, I felt my darkness slowly wrap around my body as armor and when I let the last bit of control go, I felt it immediately blanket the large room, searching for more space to grow, stretching through corridors, back to the cave’s mouth, out into the Underworld. I saw the entirety of the Moirai’s home like a map beneath my eyelids. My power slowly lessened its pace, but continued to stretch.  
I took a deep breath, a heavy weight off my shoulders lifted, and opened my eyes.  
Alecto drew in a sharp breath as she looked at me. “There is fire in your eyes.”  
One of the Moirai clapped her hands together and brought my attention back to them.  
“Marvelous, simply marvelous!”  
“Isn’t she wonderful?”  
“Better than we could have hoped, especially given the circumstances…” Atropos whispered to the others, but I heard her clearly.  
“You have so much control already. It’s really remarkable.”  
“Always room for improvement, though.”  
“It’s been difficult, hasn’t it?”  
“Yes.” I looked down at my hands. Even without them being covered my armor, darkness seeped out of them like black smoke, rising into the air.  
“Now that you have revealed yourself, Persephone, you may ask your questions.”  
“Please be clear with her, all of you,” Alecto spoke quietly, through gritted teeth.  
“Worried, Alecto?” Clotho’s tone was full of amusement.  
“Have any of you ever given me any reason not to be?”  
Lachesis touched Clotho gently, stopping whatever she was about to say. “Very well.”  
“What secret is Hades keeping that relates to me? Why have I been given the power of the chthonic deities?”  
“One question at a time.”  
“You will find that the answers are surprisingly… similar.”  
I frowned. “The second, then. I know it is unusual for someone to possess this as soon as I have. It has only been a couple months since my arrival.”  
“Nyx spoke of this with you, didn’t she?”  
I narrowed my eyes at them.  
“Don’t look at us like that.”  
“It is our duty to know.”  
“Nyx said she didn’t know the reason for my powers.”  
“But she guessed?”  
I nodded. “She did.”  
“Something about how most of the chthonic deities simply adapted and you must be something different, yes?”  
“Yes.”  
“She was right.”  
“That I’m different? How?”  
“Regardless of your parentage and upbringing, you were created for the Underworld, Persephone. Your fate has been tied to it since your birth.”  
“What?”  
“Indeed.” Atropos nodded. “It has been waiting for you.”  
“Waiting for a very long time.”  
“Why?” I asked.  
“Didn’t you feel your acceptance? Your belonging? How it responded to you from the beginning?”  
“Do you hear what it says about you? Every crevice, every creature whispers your name, among other things.”  
“I don’t think she can hear it.”  
“Not yet.”  
“Not until,” Lachesis started, but Clotho raised her arm to silence her.  
“We will let her hear.”  
They raised their hands as one. Darkness that wasn’t my own clouded my vision and whispering rose in my ears like the roar of the waterfall. I sank to my knees, unaware of anything except the voices.  
Whispering and moaning and screaming… for me.  
“Persephone…”  
My name was the most common thing I heard, but there were others. Other names I had heard describing other goddesses, epithets, but they were addressing me and only me.  
“Soteira…”  
Savior.  
“Megala Thea…”  
Great Goddess.  
“Hagne…”  
Holy One.  
“Praxidike…”  
Bringer of Justice.  
“Epaine…”  
Fearful One.  
“Despoena…”  
Ruling Goddess.  
The whispering and darkness faded away and I realized I was clinging to Alecto on the floor. She was holding me securely and yelling at the Moirai. “What did you do to her?”  
I gulped down air like I had been drowning and pulled away from her, trying to regain my composure, but I was sure my face had gone ghostly white. “Why do they call me those things? I am none of them. I am not a savior, not a great goddess, not a ruler.”  
“Not yet,” the Moirai corrected.  
Alecto just looked at me, her eyes impossibly wide.  
“Even from the depths of Tartarus, they call your name. They have been waiting.”  
“Why?” I yelled. “Why have they been waiting for me?”  
“You were made to rule the Underworld. Your bones sing of it. Your power grows every day. Did you think the others have access to so much of it? No, only someone who rules this realm does.”  
“And what about Hades? She is its Lord. I’m surely not going to overthrow her.” Just saying it made me sick to my stomach. I didn’t want to imagine, but I did. From lovers to enemies, fighting her with darkness, winning, chaining her in Tartarus next to her father…  
They all laughed at me.  
“Do you remember what Demeter told you, before you fled Eleusis?”  
“My mother,” I spat, “told me many things.”  
“You were supposed to marry.”  
“What?” I snapped, but remembered. I had not thought about it since my arrival. I didn’t think it mattered after I fled the mortal world and Olympus, the only places my match would be. “Why does it matter?”  
“Of course it matters, silly girl.”  
“I fled Olympus! Whatever minor god in Olympus I had the misfortune of being paired with has surely since moved on.”  
“Your father swore it on the Styx, Persephone.”  
“The oath…” Alecto whispered beside me.  
“I did not swear anything and Zeus honors nothing, not even oaths sworn on the Styx.”  
“Your very fate has been tied with theirs since you were born.”  
“Who is it?”  
“Child, how could you possibly not know?”  
I seethed and my darkness seethed with me, tendrils shivering in anticipation, flicking back and forth like a cat’s tail.  
Alecto saw my expression. “Just answer her.”  
“Just think, Persephone.”  
“Your mother said they came to collect you.”  
“Didn’t Demeter say that was what made your father pursue you?”  
“And who had recently visited your father before you left?”  
I sucked in a quick breath, and then another.  
The answer had been so clear, every word and action pointing to the same fact. It was hardly hidden or covered up, not like a proper secret. I only didn’t see it sooner because the marriage was the farthest thing in my mind. I had shoved the thought of it away, not thinking it was necessary, when it was everything.  
I remembered the first time I spoke to Hades after my arrival, when I asked why she was gone when I collapsed at the palace.  
“I still had unfinished business in Olympus.”  
“Which was?”  
I remembered the way she gazed at me while she replied.  
“I suppose it’s taken care of now.”  
I felt like I was going to be sick, but I stood as still as a statue, not even bothering to breathe. Alecto touched my arm to reassure me. It didn’t work.  
“Do you see now?”  
“You’re not supposed to overthrow her.”  
“You’re supposed to rule together.”  
I couldn’t look at the Moirai, only my hands as they clenched into fists, when I finally whispered, “And the secret Hades is keeping from me?”  
“That’s it.”  
I ripped away from Alecto’s touch and fled.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persephone confronts Hades with the knowledge the Fates gave her. Another letter from Athena arrives, answering the question of why the mortals are dying, and Persephone resolves herself to action.

My wave of darkness descended upon the Hall of Judgement before I even stepped foot there like a harbinger. I was too angry to care about keeping the power in check. The darkness writhed around me, as agitated as a wild beast, and my footsteps echoed across the stone like an erratic heartbeat. My power simultaneously made the fire in the braziers shoot towards the ceiling and smothered them with black mist, casting everything into ominous shadows.  
As soon as I saw Hades on her throne, I yelled, my voice booming like thunder as my power amplified it. The entire hall shuddered like there had been an earthquake. “This entire time you knew?”  
The judges all paused, stopping whatever disagreement they were in the middle of to gape at me.  
Hades tried to cover up her shock as quickly as possible, but I saw how her eyes had grown impossibly wide and her lips parted. Was it just shock, or was it guilt or fear? She visibly relaxed into her throne and smiled, raising her arm. “Leave us.”  
The judges promptly vanished.  
“Persephone, is this really necessary?” Hades waved her hand to dispel it, but when the power didn’t listen, she let the hand fall to her lap. Her fingers curled into the fabric of her himation.  
I climbed the steps to her throne, my armor trailing wisps like smoke behind me. “Of course you knew the entire time. You were probably there with my father as he swore me to you, like some possession. You didn’t think it important to tell me? You chose to keep it a secret and force Hecate to do the same?”  
Her eyes widened.  
I had surprised her with my knowledge and broken through her carefully constructed composure. Good.  
I continued, “Even if I hadn’t overheard you, I am not blind. She’s been avoiding me like the plague, wracked with guilt, no doubt, which is something you clearly don’t possess. When you talked to me in Olympus, were you inspecting me? Did you plan to take me then? Or did you let your words convince me to come willingly? It worked, didn’t it? Are you happy? How could you spend all this time with me and not tell me your intentions? How could you kiss me when you knew? How could you make love to me? How did you try to become my friend and lover when it was based on a lie? How could you?”  
My voice was thunder, shaking the columns, bits of rock falling from above us and dust clouding the Hall. I had reached the final step before Hades.  
“If the horses were Poseidon’s apology gift to you, was I your gift from Zeus?”  
She didn’t reply, only watched me with an infuriatingly calm gaze.  
“I was, wasn’t I?” I drew in a ragged breath, my heart pounding in my ears. “I have seen what marriage does. Did you think I would marry willingly and lie on my back complacently while you did whatever you wished to my body on our wedding night? Did you think I would become the compliant, passive wife? Did you think I would serve you? Did you think I would kneel and be happy with a place below you?”  
I reached for her throat. I didn’t know why.  
Hades stood before I reached her, shoving my hand away, darkness exploding out of her, her dark eyes flashing with a hidden light behind them.  
Her power collided with mine and stopped, at a stalemate. We were as solid as stone, two mountains refusing to bow.  
I shuddered at the contact. How many times had I thought of my power mixing with hers? It always yearned to caress her while we made love. I swallowed bile.  
“You will not lay a hand on me or disrespect me, not in my own realm.” Her voice was just as powerful as mine, shaking the hall to its foundations.  
Pieces of rock began to fall towards me, but my power caught them and flicked them away. “Respect, Hades? You dare question my respect? I am only a possession to you, some prize that was won in a deal, and you didn’t even have the decency to tell me. You let me pretend I was more, because it suited you.”  
“What do you want me to say, Persephone? Do you want me to explain my intentions or would you rather bring this place down on our heads?”  
“Your intentions are perfectly clear,” I spat. “I was wrong about you, Hades. I thought I was able to see through lies. I thought I could trust you. I thought you were my friend, my lover, and it turns out you’re neither of them. You are a stranger who lied and manipulated her way into my bed. You are just like the rest of them.”  
She must have realized who I meant because she flinched like she had been slapped. Her power shrank.  
When she reached out to touch me, I jerked away. “Don’t you dare touch me.”  
I spun on my heel and left the hall, but where could I go? To the palace that served as my prison? To the mortal world to be hunted? To Olympus to be raped?  
I wanted to scream. Instead, the ground shuddered and rocks exploded all around me. My hands flew to cover my face instinctively but my power shielded me from the debris, enveloping me in its embrace and depositing me on the Erinyes’ doorstep. Even as I sank to my knees, it circled around me slowly as my armor receded, cool tendrils stroking my skin as a way to comfort me. I tried my best to calm down, but I was hurt and angry, and it was only made worse because of who it was.  
The power circled around me one more time before dissipating completely. As it left, I was overcome by exhaustion and complete numbness, emotionally and physically. I couldn’t stand up even if I tried.  
“Persephone? Oh, no,” Alecto murmured. I couldn’t even sense her approach. “You’ve spent too much of your power, haven’t you?” She picked me up without much difficulty. “I had no idea you were so powerful.”  
“Hades kept the arrangement a secret this entire time,” I whispered softly, still trying to understand. “I can’t go back.”  
Alecto pressed a kiss to my hair. “I know.”  
I heard the door open. “Sister, what is going on? Did you feel the…” It wasn’t Megaera, so that meant she was Tisiphone. “Is that her? Was that her?”  
“Yes, it was. Now please move out of the door. Let us in.”  
The door creaked and Alecto started moving.  
“What is going on? Why is she here?”  
“Because I’m the only one she can trust. Please, be silent. I’ll answer your questions later, I swear it.” Alecto’s movements through the house were familiar. She was taking me to her room.  
“And your business in the mortal world today? What of that?”  
“Tisiphone,” Alecto hissed. “Do you not see her? Have some compassion, would you? What matters if they live another day?”  
Tisiphone sighed. “I’ll send some of the Arae in your place.”  
“Thank you.”  
Another door creaked open and she rested me on top of her bed with a sigh.  
“Well? Will you explain the situation to me now?”  
Alecto stroked my hair, which had pulled free of its pins sometime between leaving the Moirai and arriving here. “Persephone, will you be okay?”  
Sleep was tugging at my consciousness as I thought of an answer. Honestly, I didn’t know if I would be. I was still too numb with shock to process anything that happened. I remained silent.  
Alecto’s hand stilled and several moments of silence passed. I heard a sigh and footsteps fade away into the hallway. The bed shifted as Alecto climbed in next to me. She didn’t fit her body against mine the way Hades always had, her body never touched me at all, she only continued stroking my hair until I finally surrendered to sleep.  
When I woke, I had no idea how much time had passed and for a moment I didn’t know where I was. I remembered recent events with a sickening lurch of my stomach. I swung my legs over to sit on the edge of the bed, my breathing quickening and unwilling tears blurring my eyes. A sound came from the other side of the room and I jumped.  
“You’ll need some of this.” Alecto crossed the room and brought a cup to my lips.  
I drank and sputtered. It was incredibly strong wine.  
“They’ve been coming to try to see you. I’ve sent them all away.”  
I winced. “Who?”  
“All of them.”  
“Thank you for letting me stay here. I don’t know what to do anymore. I came here to be free and found myself in another cage.”  
“Truly, Persephone, I’m sorry. I can’t even begin to imagine…”  
“Are you married? I never thought to ask you.”  
Alecto stilled. “No.”  
“Why do you think she never told me? I doubt she ever planned to.”  
“I don’t know Hades well enough to guess. Regardless, she had her reasons for keeping it a secret. It isn’t my place to guess if her intentions were for your benefit or detriment. I understand why you’re angry and I think you deserve to be.”  
“I was so angry at first, like I could feel myself burning from the inside out. Now I just feel… hurt, betrayed, sickened, manipulated. Take your pick.” Tears swam in my eyes again and I brushed them away before they could fall, steeling myself and refusing to let myself cry.  
Hades did not deserve my tears, my body, my friendship, or my love.  
Alecto pursed her lips but said nothing.  
“Just thinking about it…” I cursed under my breath. “If she had asked me herself, I would have probably said yes.” My throat closed in on itself. “I would have said yes.”  
Alecto handed me another cup full of wine. “I know.”  
“I just thought it would be different here, that I would be protected. I thought the people, especially her, were different. I can’t believe I was so wrong.”  
“People lie, Persephone. It’s what they do. Believe me, I see that every day.” She rolled her shoulders. “They are who I am sent to kill. They continue to lie even after they’ve met the end of my blade. They lie between their teeth and as blood bubbles up their throats.”  
I was quiet for several moments. “I don’t suppose I could send you after Hades, could I?”  
Alecto gave me a tight smile, a quiet laugh whistling between her teeth, and shook her head.  
There was a knock on the door that interrupted the following silence. Megaera appeared with a stern expression. “She’s here… again.”  
I bristled and Alecto noticed. “Hecate or Hades? Send her away like the other times!”  
“Hecate, and she said it’s urgent that she speaks to Persephone. She told me the Keres returned with news that concerns her.”  
Alecto looked to me for a response. I bit my lip as I weighed my options, but stood and straightened my spine.  
Hecate was waiting in the entryway, as still as a statue, hands clasped behind her back. Her eyes widened when she saw me.  
I hadn’t considered my appearance. I descended the stairs slowly, clearing my throat before speaking. “What did you want to speak to me about?”  
Her blue eyes softened. “Persephone… I’m sorry…”  
I held up my hand to silence her. “I know it wasn’t you and I don’t wish to speak of Hades, so if that’s what you came here for, leave.”  
Hecate straightened and revealed her hands. One of them held an opened letter. “I wouldn’t have come, but this concerns you.”  
I raised my eyebrow. “Another opened letter.”  
“Did you expect us to wait for you to come around?” She handed it to me. “Persephone, I’m so sorry.”  
“I don’t want to talk about…”  
“No, it’s not that. Just read the letter.”  
The letter was in Athena’s writing.  
I didn’t think my father would be so determined. I thought it would pass. I thought that after a month or two, Persephone would be safe because his attention would wander to some other unlucky being. When it became apparent he wasn’t going to be swayed, I divulged the truth to a few that were worthy of it, that can be trusted. We’ve done everything; made up stories of seeing her in different locations to confuse him, offered him the most beautiful mortal women, men, nymphs, and even some of the deities offered to…  
Persephone is dear to many of us, and they were willing to make certain sacrifices, but absolutely nothing worked.  
He is mad, absolutely mad, and the chaos continues, even worse than before. I suspect the only one who is enjoying this is Eris, and possibly the Keres, for I know their love of chaos and bloodshed.  
He realized that she is not in Olympus or the mortal world.  
He knows she’s with you.  
He also knows that we will not enter the Underworld and he, somehow, isn’t foolish enough to try it himself. I almost wish he would, if only he could be chained in Tartarus with his father. He’s certainly deserving of it. He knows he has no power there and cannot steal her away, so he is trying another tactic.  
He’s trying to draw her out.  
You asked why so many people are dying?  
The earth is freezing. The winter is worse than I’ve ever seen. The cold has reached even the far south, farther than ever before. It prematurely froze the last of the crops before the harvest was completed and through the humans’ stores. They have already eaten their livestock. They fight and kill over the warmest homes, for wine. They have chopped down most of the trees to use as firewood, but every resource is running extremely thin. They either quickly freeze to death or slowly starve to death.  
Why?  
Zeus took Demeter.  
She has grown so tied to the earth, it responded to her absence, but I don’t think that’s entirely the cause, even if I wish it was. Zeus keeps her in his bedchambers and all of us are supposed to pretend we don’t hear her cries when he visits her during the night.  
His madness has made it perfectly clear that the same thing, or worse, will happen to us if we intervene.  
There are only a few of us who know the full story. The rest of the family has been told a lie and, unfortunately, they’re foolish enough to believe it.  
He spins a tale of how Persephone was kidnapped by Hades and taken to the Underworld unwillingly. He says Demeter’s cries at night are from grief for her stolen daughter and that the freezing earth is the result of it. He says he visits her to comfort her.  
We cannot speak against him.  
I suspect he will be sending Hermes to deliver this news to all of you, his twisted ultimatum, and, if he gets what he wishes, to bring Persephone back with him.  
Even I have no advice, no wisdom, to offer her. I don’t know what to do, how to help, or what to say. We have run out of ideas.  
Tell Persephone I’m sorry.  
The letter slipped from my hands and fluttered to the ground. I fell to my knees and wretched.  
Alecto kneeled beside me and held my hair. “Hecate, what did the letter say?”  
“I…”  
“What did the letter say?”  
“The earth is freezing because Zeus took her mother and is…” Hecate trailed off and didn’t finish because I emptied the remaining contents of my stomach onto the floor again.  
“Oh, no,” Megaera whispered.  
Alecto tied my hair back. “Persephone, I’m so sorry.”  
My power started seeping out of my pores as my anger grew. I did not bother to control it. After the confrontation with Hades and how the power went away on its own on the Erinyes’ doorstep, I realized I had been wrong. This power was not meant to be hidden away and controlled. I was no longer scared of it.  
I wiped my mouth and stood. “I have heard enough apologies to last an eternity. What can I do to help?”  
Hecate stared at me. “Persephone, we don’t expect you to do anything. You can’t just hand yourself over to him.”  
“I don’t plan to,” I said stiffly. “I meant with the Underworld, the souls, anything. What of Gaia? I could speak with her and…”  
Hecate’s eyes widened, in pleasant shock that I had thought of Gaia, but she turned worried. “Hades is going to speak with her.”  
“I’ll go, but it’s not for Hades. I’d rather not see her again, but this mess is partially my fault. I must do something to help.”  
“It isn’t your fault. You don’t need to do anything.”  
“If I have the means to help here, which I do, I will.”  
I had made up my mind and Hecate noticed my determined expression. “Very well.” She opened the door but I caught her wrist before she left.  
I used my power to pick up any trace of my vomit on the floor and flung it outside. “I didn’t want either of you to have to clean it up. I’ll be back soon.”  
Alecto squeezed my hand. “Good luck.”  
Hecate touched my arm but I let my power take us to Gaia’s. I stepped away as soon as we arrived at the cave’s mouth.  
“I have had it up to here,” I put my hand above my head, “with caves.”  
Hecate laughed. “You had better get used to it. They’re quite common down here.” She peered into the dark cave. “Where’s a torch-bearing nymph when you need one?”  
I made a white fire appear in my hand. “Will this do?”  
Hecate raised an eyebrow in amusement and we descended.  
There weren’t any stairs, unlike the entrance to the Moirai’s home, but the decline was gradual and the earth soft. We spent several moments in silence.  
“I know you didn’t want to keep the arranged marriage a secret from me once you found out. I overheard your argument with Hades that day, after the both of you had gone to see the Moirai. I don’t know how much Hades told you of what I said when I confronted her, but I don’t blame you for any of it.”  
“I thought it was wrong that she kept it from you, but she had her reasons. I know this is the last thing you want to hear, but you should speak to her in a civilized manner, when you’re ready. I think you should hear what she has to say, now that she is willing to say it.”  
“If it suits me, perhaps I will.” I tried not to snap at Hecate, but my tone was still unyielding and final.  
A thought occurred to me and I started laughing.  
Hecate looked at me like I was mad.  
“Once Nyx hears of this, I’m sure she’ll find it amusing.”  
“Nyx?”  
“She wanted to know why I had my powers. I should visit her again and tell her of this. At least she would make it sound like a light-hearted joke.”  
The cave turned and we ran into Hades.  
“Making friends with Protogenoi and the Erinyes? What else have you been keeping from me?” Hades crossed her arms over her chest. “Oh, and growing into a considerable amount of chthonic power. However misplaced, I have to say, you being able to control it so well, to hide it from all of us, it takes quite a lot of skill.”  
I ignored her attempt at flattery. “You had your secrets, I had mine. Seems fair, no?”  
Hades spun on her heel and continued through the cave. “Did you read the letter? I’m apparently the villain of this story.”  
“Poor Hades!” I wailed mockingly. “Hades is the victim of a little lie while my mother is being raped every night by my father, and humans are dying in the thousands because of it. Yes, my heart bleeds for you.”  
She stiffened but kept walking. Hecate kept her mouth clamped shut.  
“What are you even doing here?”  
“I’m going to speak to Gaia and see if there’s any way she can fix this winter problem.” I rolled my eyes since she couldn’t see it. “Do you not want me to help?”  
“Please, both of you,” Hecate pleaded. “Be civil or be silent.”  
We fell silent and Hecate muttered something under her breath that I couldn’t hear. Hades had stopped in front of us and I went around her, staying far enough away that my shoulder brushed against the rough rock of the cave.  
The cave opened up into a cavern, but it wasn’t an elaborate underground temple as the Moirai had. It seemed to be a natural formation, the floor had smoothed over the years but the ceiling and walls were rough and uneven rock. The air was surprisingly clear, like a cool breeze on a summer day, and dripping water echoed softly.  
Hecate had caught Hades and pulled her back. She was trying to speak softly, but I could still hear her. “... are you doing? I thought you wanted to… and explain. You certainly aren’t going to… by being childish and…”  
“I’m being childish? Did you even listen to what she said?”  
“In my opinion, you deserve every bit of her anger.” Hecate said something else that was too low for me to hear and Hades scoffed. “Do you even realize this mess is your fault because you decided to keep this a secret?”  
I couldn’t hear Hades’ reply.  
“Well, you’re certainly acting like a child. Take some responsibility for your actions and show some humility. You have been proud for too long.”  
Hades said something else and pulled free from Hecate, walking into the cavern. She paused when she neared me. “I’m sorry.”  
I stiffened. “I don’t want your apologies.”  
Hades shot a glare at Hecate, who shrugged.  
A soft voice came from deeper in the cavern. “Will the three of you quit bickering? I’m too old to listen to that nonsense and I’m feeling a little under the weather.”  
“Yes, of course, Gaia,” Hades said evenly. “Thank you for seeing us.”  
Hecate touched my elbow gently and urged me forward with Hades on the other side of her.  
“Ahhh,” Gaia’s soft voice echoed. “Could that be? Yes, I’m quite sure it’s you, Persephone. I’d know your footsteps anywhere.”  
“What?”  
“I feel all of those who walk the earth, but more keenly those blessed with its gifts. You, Artemis, Dionysus, Pan, Chloris, Rhea, and your mother, to name a few. You’ve changed, though. I don’t appreciate you rumbling the Underworld. It makes the earth unhappy.”  
“I’m sorry about that. Unusual circumstances.”  
“Oh?”  
“Yes, I was heinously lied to by someone who…”  
Hecate pinched my arm. “Persephone, quit antagonizing her.”  
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from grinning when I saw how red Hades’ face was. I was fully aware of how childish I was being, but I thought it was warranted. Hades clearly felt no remorse for what she did at all.  
Her shoulders moved as she took a deep breath to calm herself, angling her face away from me as she moved farther into the room. “We came to speak with you about the situation with Demeter.”  
In the farthest corner of the room, there was a pool of crystal clear water that occasionally rippled and splashed. I realized with a start that Gaia was in the pool, but I hadn’t seen her because her skin blended in with the rock. She stood and regained normal color, but her skin was still as dark as moist dirt. “Yes, troubling news, isn’t it?”  
“Is there anything you can do about the winter? Lessen the effects somehow?”  
“I assume you mean other than returning Demeter? What do you think has been happening while all of you stay ignorant and blind down here? I have been trying.” Gaia shook her head slowly and as she sighed, the cavern rumbled softly. “In these later years, Demeter has grown incredibly tied to the Earth. It feels her absence and her sorrow deeply.”  
“So, there’s nothing you can do?”  
“Well, that’s not exactly true. I cannot do much by myself. If I had help from other nature deities, perhaps we could stop it, but…”  
“Zeus has forbidden anyone from intervening.”  
Hecate nodded her agreement with Hades’ statement. “We won’t get any help from them. They’re too afraid.”  
“And before you offer yourself up to try something on the mortal plane, Persephone, don’t. That’s what Zeus wants you to do. He wants to draw you away from here. The Underworld is my, is our,” Hades corrected herself softly, “fortress. We would be foolish to attempt anything ourselves. Who knows who will help him? You could be taken by any of them.”  
I flexed my hands at my sides, power crackling like lightning under my skin. “There’s absolutely nothing we can do?”  
All of them shook their heads.  
Hecate spoke clearly. “We will have to wait him out.”  
“It may take years.”  
“Decades, even.”  
“But he will end this eventually. Persephone, I swear it will end.” Hades reached out to touch me in an attempt to comfort me, but I recoiled and she dropped her hand. I watched as she flexed it behind a fold in her peplos, the slim fingers splaying like she had been burned. She wanted to touch me so badly.  
I refrained from spitting an insult at how much Hades' sworn oaths meant to me. “This has been an enlightening experience,” I quipped. “It was nice meeting you, Gaia.”  
“I wish it had been on better terms.”  
“As do I.” I turned away from them and climbed out of the cave to stand in silence and look out to the horizon. A thin strip of light was growing out of it, which meant Hemera was coming to visit Nyx.  
Even though the Underworld was so open, the air was stagnant. I breathed it in regardless. It was a part of me now, this place and the air in it.  
The Underworld; my refuge, my home, and my prison.  
I felt too constricted even without thinking about my current situation. I took off my himation and draped it over my arm, letting the cool breeze wash over my skin. I yearned for the waterfall in the palace.  
I didn’t know what to think or feel. Too much had happened too soon and I couldn’t do anything about it.  
“Persephone…” Hades’ voice startled me. She turned to the sunrise, closing her eyes to feel the light on her face. “Do you remember the first time I showed you the sunrise down here? How surprised you were when you heard that we had one! We took the horses out until we could see the sun reflecting off the rivers. I remember the warm light on your skin, in your hair…”  
“What do you want?” I snapped. “Isn’t this what you wanted? Me staying here for years and years?” My power solidified around me, tendrils twitching unhappily.  
Hades moved beside me, not close enough to touch me, but she let darkness spill out of her and one of her own tendrils stroked mine slowly.  
I shivered at the sensation and what it made me think of, but I didn’t move away. Hades had her head tipped back and her lips parted slightly as my power responded in kind, stroking and exploring however they wanted.  
The stillness around us made it feel like we were in the moment between breaths, everything suspended in silence. I watched as my power snaked up Hades’ peplos, stroking her arms before moving up to her neck. I felt her power wrap around my ankle before trailing up my calf to the inside of my thigh. It was warm, just like she was caressing me herself. I forced myself not to quiver under it.  
I broke the spell and pulled my power away from her abruptly. “Well?”  
Hades dispelled her power with a wave of her hand, but her lips were upturned in a faint smile. “I only want you to stay if you want to stay. I thought you knew that.” Her voice was soft because she knew she was testing treacherous waters, especially after what I just let her do to me. “If you don’t want apologies, then I won’t give them to you, but I wanted to speak with you.”  
“I don’t want to talk about my family.”  
“I don’t want to talk about them either.”  
“Then what is it you want?”  
“I wanted to speak to you about us, about what happened and why.” She paused to watch my expression.  
“I don’t want to listen.” I moved away from her.  
Her eyes turned downcast. “That is fine. I can wait.”  
“You can, can’t you? But that’s the point, Hades. You have all the time in the world to wait for me to return to you. It’s inevitable, isn’t it? I’m trapped down here and the Underworld is only so big. Even fate itself is on your side! It tells you I was to come here one way or another, that I am made for this place, that I am made for you, to be your wife, and that by not marrying you, I would be breaking a sacred oath that I never made.”  
She opened her mouth to protest, but I cut her off before she could say anything else. “Goodbye, Hades.”  
She reached out to me but my power whisked me away without her.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persephone receives counsel from her friends as she tries to sort through the emotional turmoil of Hades' betrayal.

All three of the Erinyes were more or less fine with harboring me while I avoided Hades along with the rest of my problems. I grew to be more acquainted with Tisiphone, though she was always vaguely disapproving of the reasons for my extended visit. After a week or so, the days blurring together, it became apparent that I was wearing the welcome thin.  
“Persephone,” Alecto started from the doorway. “It’s not that I don’t love having you here, drinking through all my wine selections, but the bruises are starting to show… on all of us.”  
She meant the bruises from our intense sparring sessions. Due to my boredom and need for releasing my pent up energy and power, I sparred with the Erinyes whenever they had the time.  
“Getting tired of the fighting, Alecto?” I grinned, sipping a particularly bitter wine. I happened to like bitterness because it reminded me of myself.  
“You know I never tire of bloodshed. Bathing in the blood of your enemies is good for the skin.”  
I laughed as I watched her take a seat next to me. “I’ll have to try it sometime.”  
Alecto’s mouth thinned. I had asked her a few days prior if I could accompany and help her with her duties in the mortal world. I wanted to see how my newly acquired powers worked with taking life instead of giving it. She had adamantly refused.  
“We just think that you should find some different hobbies.”  
“Like what?”  
“Helping Charon, for example. He still needs it and it’s exhausting work. It requires copious amounts of chthonic power, so I’m sure you’ll love it.”  
“But how would I… I don’t want to talk to Hades.”  
“Then speak with Hecate instead. Aren’t you on better terms with her now? The Arae spoke of how she brought you some extra clothes the other day and how you two visited.”  
I glared at the doorway and yelled, “Spying on me now?”  
Faint, ghostly laughter was the only reply I received.  
“Bastards.”  
Alecto had watched the exchange with a bemused expression. “Hecate will be able to instruct you how to do it, I’m sure. You won’t have to deal with Hades if you don’t wish, although I don’t think avoiding her for as long as possible is the best way to deal with her.”  
“Good thing they’re my problems to deal with as I wish.”  
“Point taken.” She nodded and took my goblet out of my hand to take a drink because the rest of the glasses were nowhere to be found. “Seriously, go help him. You have too much energy and need to blow off even more steam than you previously have been. It’s exhausting.”  
I decided to listen to Alecto so I sought out Hecate the following day and had her teach me how to help Charon. It was surprisingly easier than I thought it would be, simply transporting large groups of souls via the same way we moved around the Underworld. I would take them across the river and as soon as their feet touched the other side, they disappeared in smoke, going to their respective parts of the realm, or so Charon told me.  
He seemed to enjoy my company, teasing me about my wild woman appearance when we first met, how much I had changed and became one of them. I would wave him off when he would depart across the river, his ghostly laugh echoing across the water as he disappeared in mist.  
I only left when a few of the Oneiroi and the Keres came to relieve me. Charon welcomed them warmly, seeing as how the Keres were his sisters and the Oneiroi were his nephews. Even if I found the Keres and the way their dark eyes flashed unsettling, Charon didn’t mind. I wished him well and went back to the Erinyes’.  
Alecto, Tisiphone, and Megaera were all away so I went to Alecto’s room. I didn’t even realized how exhausted I was until I sat on the bed and sleep immediately pulled me under.  
The following morning I awoke with a burning need to see the sun. I had missed it occasionally, but I figured the reason behind this sudden longing was because feeling the real sun on my face had never been so far from possibility. The darkness, which I hadn’t minded before because it reminded me of Hades, had turned into the exact reason it bothered me. The only way to fix it, without endangering myself, was to visit Elysium.  
When I decided I was going to it, I wanted to bring Alecto. I wasn’t sure if she had ever been and I would have liked to show her the grove and what my other powers were capable of.  
I laughed at my thoughts. Since when had the powers I possessed for centuries become other?  
They seemed so arbitrary to me, after what I had been given from the Underworld.  
I dressed myself in a light chiton and went to search the house for Alecto, who was nowhere to be found, along with her sisters. Along some vague line of wishful thinking, I decided I would try to wait for her in the entry room.  
When the door opened, I nearly jumped to my feet, but couldn’t hide my disappointment when I saw it was only Tisiphone.  
“Expecting someone else?” She slammed the door behind her as I took in her rough appearance. She wore many layers, leather armor hidden under thick furs, all of which were caked in blood and grime.  
“When will Alecto be back?”  
“No idea. She’s accumulated quite the long list of humans to kill, thanks to you.”  
“What can I say? I’m excellent at distraction. Besides, I offered to accompany her and she refused to take me.”  
“Alecto is too willful for her own good but she isn’t that foolish.” Tisiphone rolled her eyes and stalked past me. “I don’t think she will be back until tonight, at the very earliest. Don’t wait for her.”  
I narrowed my eyes at Tisiphone’s back, but I didn’t think she was lying. Alecto was a busy woman and, after all, I had all the time in the world to show it to her some other day.  
Elysium was blinding. I stood as still as a statue as I was stunned by the light once again. I didn’t think it was possible to forget the sun, but I had. I let this fake sun warm my face and illuminate my closed eyelids pink as the breeze ruffled my hair.  
It felt exactly like the mortal world on a mild summer day, even if it was a realm that was only a guise for the blessed dead.  
I ran my fingers through the grass that grew to my hip. The power I had inherited from my mother was lying dormant beneath the chthonic. I couldn’t feel the life flowing through everything around me, how I had grown so used to having to ignore it all, and for once, everything was calm.  
“Persephone? What are you doing here?” Chloris’ voice rose above the grass. “What’s wrong with you?”  
My eyes snapped open and I glanced down. My power had manifested itself as several shadows, all of which were spread in different directions and swayed slightly, as if by the wind. “This place was a gift to me, you know.” I started to grin but it faltered when I realized this place was probably meant to be an early wedding present. When Hades brought me here the first time, she had said she wanted to talk to me about something, but it was forgotten when we ran into Chloris and Ascalaphus.  
“Nothing is wrong with me.” I waved my hand and my power dissipated.  
Chloris rounded one of the hedges. “But what was that?”  
“I’m one of the chthonic deities now.”  
Chloris gasped, putting her hand to her chest. “That’s horrible!”  
“I don’t think so. I’ve rather enjoyed it. Besides, it’s not like the other stuff is gone.” I waved my hand again and flowers sprung up around us. “Chloris, I need to talk to you. Lay down in the grass with me, like we used to.”  
“Ohhh,” She murmured in a sing-song voice. She grew a bed of soft moss for us and held out her hand. “This must be serious.”  
I sat next to her with a resigned sigh. “I’m afraid so.”  
“You always were so serious. I always told you that you needed to lighten up.”  
“Unfortunately, the situations I seem to always find myself in do not help to lighten the mood.”  
“What does this new power of yours do?”  
“Many things. I am still learning. Fire, for one.” I held out my hand and a flame appeared in it. I snuffed it out by closing my palm. “Darkness, shadows, transportation around the realm, manipulation of things in the Underworld.”  
“Manipulation of what?”  
I waved my hand towards the sky and storm clouds gathered immediately, blotting out the sun. I made them leave as quickly as they came. I’m sure I had startled the souls. “Anything.”  
“Well, that’s certainly different. How did this happen?”  
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. You seem to be more of an expert on this topic than I.”  
“What is it?”  
“What happened when you married?”  
“Married?” Chloris echoed the question and turned to me, eyes wide. “Oh! I hope you don’t mean explaining the ways of sex.”  
“No, no, not that. What is it like being married?”  
“Why are you asking? I thought you’d never wed.”  
“Neither did I, truth be told.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “It seems as though many things have changed. I was promised to marry someone a long time ago and just recently found out, amidst the plethora of other problems that have recently arisen.”  
“For me, it was unexpected. It seems as though we have that in common. It was so sudden, I was terrified. It was so different than I expected a marriage to be and although I did not love him at first, how I absolutely loathed Zephyrus, we grew close. I do care for him. Some may call it love.” Chloris sighed. “As you can see, I’ve needed a break, but that’s to be expected with eternal marriage.”  
“It’s different. I know this person… I have been intimate, far too intimate, with them. I care for her greatly.”  
“This seems like the opposite of a problem. You love them? You are supposed to marry them? It is more than I was ever given.”  
“Our friendship and more was based on a lie. She knew the entire time, but never told me. I have been wronged and I feel so betrayed. I would expect this from our family, but I didn’t think she was capable of such deceit. How can someone I trusted and cared for keep such a thing from me?”  
Chloris’ brow crinkled. “I see why you’re troubled.”  
“I gave her months to tell me, any opportunity, any conversation, but she never did. I had to see the Moirai, actually. They were the ones who divulged the truth. It seems to be all tied up in fate and destiny. You know how much I hate feeling powerless and yet, I find myself in this mess.” I paused to gather my thoughts and calm myself. “The truth has shed light on certain actions and questionable motivations for them. I don’t know what to think or what to believe. I have been avoiding her for awhile, which is cowardly, but I can’t seem to face her. I feel sick just thinking about it.”  
She was quiet for some time, probably mulling over what I said as we both gazed at the sky. I tried to absorb as much of the sun as I could.  
“Hades visited me a couple days ago, you know.”  
I turned to Chloris. “What?”  
“She came to speak with me about you. She feels terrible for what she did, truly. She came for advice, just as you have come to me now, and I told her to wait for you and be patient. We may have become estranged, but I knew you, once. I like to think you haven’t completely changed. If you came for advice, listen to me, Persephone.”  
“Fine.”  
“Speak with her. She told me her explanation and I’m not going to tell you what she said. I think you should see her and at least give her a chance to explain.” Chloris continued when she saw my reaction. “You don’t need to forgive her, you only need to listen. You want more answers, don’t you? You certainly won’t get them by sulking around and hiding.”  
“I have not been sulking around!” I shoved Chloris’ arm playfully. “I’ve been staying with the Erinyes and spending most of my time sparring with them and drinking…” I trailed off but then I saw her expression and continued with, “To alleviate my boredom and certainly not wallowing.”  
“Hades is terrified you’ll leave because of what she’s done.”  
“Terrified, you say?” I raised an eyebrow as I glanced up. “She should be.”  
“Persephone, you aren’t going to truly leave, are you?”  
“No,” I murmured softly as I looked into the leaves of the fruit tree overhead. “When are you going to leave, Chloris? Are you going to tell our wretched family about my secrets when you do?”  
She didn’t immediately reply. “I don’t know when I’m leaving, and I wouldn’t. He is our king but…”  
“He’s not a king down here.”  
“It is wrong and entirely selfish. He made an oath that he wants to break.”  
I thinned my lips in displeasure. “Is that your only reason?”  
“Of course not.”  
As I raised my arm, a branch grew fruit and lowered itself to me. I plucked the pomegranate and rolled it between my palms thoughtfully.  
“We’re not supposed to eat anything here,” Chloris whispered softly.  
“Oh, I know,” I mused. “This would make my choice for me, wouldn’t it? Prevent me from truly being able to leave? There would be nothing my father or anyone else could do, and Hades would love it if I bound myself here. Initially, I wanted to, before I knew what it truly meant. If I bind myself to the Underworld, I bind myself to Hades, forever. It would be a marriage in itself.”  
“It wouldn’t be taking your choice from you, if you chose to eat it yourself.”  
I thought of tearing through the skin of the pomegranate and scooping the seeds into my mouth as the juices flowed down my chin, like blood. I thought of eternity in the darkness, crowned in jewels and finery, endless nights spent with Hades in my bed.  
“Don’t do it,” she said firmly. “Talk to her first.”  
I let the pomegranate roll onto the grass and watched it disintegrate into the earth.  
* * *  
I left Chloris in Elysium, sunlight making her golden hair glow like a fiery crown around her head as she waved goodbye. I couldn’t escape her frown when she saw the way I summoned my chthonic power, but I didn’t go to see Hades, or go back to the Erinyes’ place. I helped Charon for several hours to expend my energy, even if I wasn’t alone. Spread along the shore were a few of the Arae and the Oneiroi, who nodded their respects to me when I arrived.  
The beings here had always been polite, always bowed and nodded to me, even in the beginning, but it was different. Before, it had been because I was an honored guest of their lord, but now they all knew I was supposed to be their queen.  
While working, my mind began to wander and wonder what they thought of it, of how an Olympian goddess of vegetation was supposed to come down from the heavens to rule them, because it was her birthright or because fate demanded it.  
I wouldn’t be very pleased if I was in their position, but I wasn’t pleased in my position either.  
I was a nobody, one of the countless deities that cowered under my more important siblings’ shadows. I wasn’t meant for greatness, for fame, for worship, for ruling. I was probably going to be married off to another equally less important deity and live out eternity, removed from any great tales and endeavors. That had been my reality and what I thought the future held.  
Until fate decided to intervene.  
Whether I was kidnapped like the lies my father was telling or if I went willingly, I ended up in the Underworld, where I was meant to rule, all the same. I was granted powers that made me able to fulfill my destiny. I fell in love with the very person I was meant to marry.  
I gritted my teeth at the final thought, but then I sighed. Chloris was right and I almost wanted to laugh. I always thought I was so much wiser than her, but she knew more about certain things than I did. She said most people weren’t given the same chance that I had, to get to know their future spouse and build a relationship before…  
I knew I would speak to Hades again soon, even if I was being stubborn by holding out and letting her suffer.  
Alecto’s voice startled me from my thoughts, which was a blessing. “There you are!” She was dressed in a red peplos and her hair was damp, nearly as dark as mine had become. “Tisiphone told me you were waiting by the door for me earlier today? How faithful of you,” she teased and kissed me on the cheek.  
I returned the kiss and blushed, hoping she couldn’t tell in the low light. “I went to Elysium and wanted to bring you with me, but…”  
“But I was busy,” she finished for me. “Sorry about that. Are you done here?”  
“I can be. I was just looking for something to do.”  
“How was Elysium? Warm, sunny, vaguely creepy?”  
I laughed. “Indeed. There aren’t any souls near my… whatever you want to call it. Garden or grove. I basked in the fake sunlight and talked to Chloris.”  
“Oh? How was that?” Alecto raised an eyebrow. “You seem to have come to a decision.”  
“It’s unsettling how you know that, but perhaps.”  
“It’s a gift. A little soul reading is…” She touched her index finger to my breast bone and lightly trailed it up to my throat. “Part of the job.” She quickly pulled her hand away from me when she realized what she had done. “So, should I expect to regain control of my own bedroom soon?”  
“If you expect it tonight, you’ll be disappointed. Hades hasn’t stewed long enough for my liking.”  
Alecto chuckled and wrapped her arm around mine. “Remind me never to vex you.”  
I summoned my power as I kissed her cheek and took us home. “Just don’t hide things from me.”  
“Duly noted.”  
When we opened the door, I saw Tisiphone waiting in the front room, her shoulders falling when she saw me.  
“Well, this looks familiar.”  
“I take it we still have a house guest?”  
“Oh, Tisiphone! You don’t have to be so welcoming!” I grinned. “Really, it isn’t necessary. I feel so at home already.”  
She rolled her eyes and began to stalk into a hallway, muttering, “I’m sure you do.”  
Alecto chuckled lightly. “I hope you aren’t taking it personally. Tisiphone likes to… face her problems head on and she feels you staying here is only avoiding yours, which is a weakness.” She cringed when she realized how it must have sounded to me.  
“She’s right. I have been avoiding it, but I needed time away from her, time to process what happened and think clearly.”  
“And time to let her pine, or whatever else she’s been doing, for you?”  
“You know me so well.”  
We had just started to climb the stairs when I stopped Alecto, my hand on her arm. “Wait, someone is coming.”  
Tisiphone must have heard me because her voice echoed through the house. “Someone else?”  
They knocked on the door. Alecto glanced at me cautiously, but left me on the stairs to open it. I didn’t see who it was, but Alecto pushed the door open further to let them inside.  
Hecate shook her gray peplos, the shimmering silver strands glinting in the torchlight. “You know, the twins miss you terribly. You should visit them.”  
“They could come here. Why haven’t they?”  
“They’re giving you space and…” Hecate trailed off and glanced to Alecto quickly. “They’re banned from coming into the Erinyes’ home.”  
“What? Why?”  
Alecto sighed heavily. “That is a long story for another time. Let’s just say I’m the only one here that’s even the least bit cordial with them.”  
“Believe it or not, the twins aren’t liked by everyone in the Underworld.”  
I laughed. “I’m shocked.”  
“Besides, I’m here because someone else misses you.”  
“Well, I don’t care if that someone else misses me.”  
“That isn’t very nice,” a voice said quietly from behind Hecate. Daeira stepped around her.  
“Oh, Daeira.” I stepped down from the stairs and approached slowly.  
“You left, without an explanation or a goodbye, and you haven’t even asked about me, so that means you haven’t even thought about me this entire time.” Daeira crossed her arms over her chest but looked down at her feet. “You were sneaking behind my back and keeping things from me for gods know how long. I thought we were friends.”  
“Oh, Daeira,” I repeated softly. “When I left, I was just so hurt and confused and angry, I couldn’t think anything through.”  
“And nearly unconscious on my doorstep, if I remember correctly,” Alecto added helpfully.  
“It’s such a poor excuse, I know, and I know that I don’t have any excuses for not seeking you out later to apologize, other than I have been only thinking of myself. I am sorry.”  
“Well, I certainly thought I’d never hear it.” Tisiphone was leaning against the wall. “Persephone, only thinking of herself?”  
“Tisiphone…” Alecto warned quietly, but her voice was like granite.  
“No, she can say what she wants. I’m sure I deserve it.”  
Tisiphone’s eyes gleamed. “Poor Persephone, given shelter in the grandest palace in all the realms, all the loyal friends she could ask for, a handmaiden, powers beyond her wildest dreams, and a lover… who wants to give her a crown and the entire realm as well.” Her gaze was sharp, like she was looking through me. I had seen Alecto do the same. “And don’t try to tell us you don’t want all these things. We can see it, regardless if Alecto mentions it or not because she’s so enamored with you. You want power, you revel in it. You have always wanted to be important and you have always wanted to rule. You’ve been given all this, yet you act like a child because some information was withheld? Honestly, Persephone. We’re gods. We keep secrets. We live out eternity based on lies we tell ourselves to make us feel better. It’s what we do and you know that, or you should, if you aren’t as wise as you pretend to be. Quit acting like a child.”  
Tisiphone spun on her heel and disappeared into the depths of the house. Everyone was silent, not daring to even breathe, because they were probably afraid that I was going to explode.  
Alecto touched my shoulder in apology, just a brush of her fingertips that was barely noticeable, and I sighed.  
“Well, that was unexpected.” Hecate shifted her weight to one leg. “If she’s right, I’m glad you want it, Persephone. I hope that would make your decision easier.”  
“Why?”  
“Because we need you for it.”  
“We?” I raised my eyebrow.  
“More precisely Hades, but I know you don’t want to talk about her. Besides, I brought Daeira here because she wants to talk to you.”  
Beside me, Alecto sighed heavily. “You can take my room if you want privacy.”  
“Thank you,” I murmured to her and placed my hand on the smooth banister. “It’s this way, Daeira.”  
She followed me silently up the stairs and down the hallway to Alecto’s room. The fireplace and torches were still lit from when Alecto came home.  
“So this is where you’ve been staying?”  
“Yes. It’s not much compared to the palace but I was never accustomed to such extravagance, as far as gods go.”  
Daeira glanced around the room before sitting on one of the lounges. “There’s only one bed.”  
“We share it… Oh, don’t look at me like that! I’m sure you’ve shared a bed with another woman and managed to not sleep with her.”  
Daeira looked unconvinced. “I didn’t even know you were friends, all that sneaking around… I wouldn’t be surprised.”  
“I haven’t had sex with Alecto, I swear on the Styx.” I rolled my eyes. It wouldn’t be Daeira’s business if I had. “Besides, she steals the blankets and sometimes, she snores.”  
From elsewhere in the house, Alecto yelled, “I do not!”  
“There’s also an echoing problem, as you can tell.” Daeira giggled and I took that as a sign to sit next to her. “Well, what did you want to talk about? The Arae are probably going to eavesdrop, but that can’t be helped.”  
She picked at her nails, hands clasped in her lap, before speaking. “I was supposed to look after you, and one day, you were just gone. I didn’t know where you were, the servants didn’t know, Lord Hades wasn’t home, and the others were away… I started to fear the worst. Do you understand me, Persephone? I thought, somehow, the Olympians had managed to kidnap you because I had been neglectful of my duties that day. When Hades came back, with the state she was in…” Daeira trailed off. “Well, let me just say it didn’t dissuade my fears. She wouldn’t speak to me. I didn’t even know what happened until hours later, when Hecate and the twins came, saying something about sensing a great amount of power and they spoke with Hades privately. They only told me that you argued with Hades and left the palace, not the Underworld.”  
I didn’t say anything. I hadn’t thought of telling her that I was leaving to see the Moirai because I thought I would come back in a few hours, but when everything happened, I was too upset to think five seconds into the future, and as Alecto appropriately said, I was nearly unconscious on their doorstep and slept for days… Regardless, I had no excuses after I woke up.  
“As angry as I am at you, I am relieved because you are safe, and you are still as stubborn as usual. How like the other gods you are, in that aspect.” Daeira teased a smile.  
I playfully elbowed her arm. “Hey!”  
“I know you don’t want to talk about Hades, because Hecate said you won’t speak of her, so I won’t. It’s just that the palace has been so quiet without you…” She frowned and her eyes grew distant. “The servants have grown distant with me, Hades is barely home, the others never visit anymore…”  
“Not even Thanatos?”  
“No… And, surprisingly, it’s not your fault, at least not directly. Hades has pushed them away as well. The twins never knew about the marriage and are upset that Hades, and Hecate, kept it from them.”  
I cracked a wry grin. “We should start a club.”  
“Hilarious,” Daeira said, rolling her eyes.  
“I haven’t really told anyone yet, but I’m almost ready.”  
She turned hopeful. “To come home?”  
“I don’t know about that, but I’ll talk to Hades soon.” I sighed heavily. “Just as you were angry and hurt by what I did, I felt the same. I still feel the same. It’s difficult for me to forgive and forget, as they say.” I shrugged lightly.  
“But it’s not just the secret keeping, is it?”  
“No,” I murmured. “You just think you know someone you care about, you know?” She nodded and I continued. “Something that important, that drastic, is not supposed to be kept a secret, especially from someone you supposedly care about. I was blinded by her, I didn’t think she was capable of such deceit, and to find out in the way I did…”  
Daeira sighed in agreement.  
“My mother told me the reason Zeus suddenly took interest was because I was arranged to be married and my spouse was coming to get me after waiting all these years, that they had come… I met Hades in Olympus after she met with Zeus, although I didn’t know who she was or the reason for her visit. She told me she had met with Hestia. Hades was the one who originally warned me about Zeus and, at the time, she had seemed only as though she cared for a stranger’s well-being, but now that I know her reasons, her hidden motivations… Did she lure me here on purpose when she realized it would be easier than outright telling me and taking me to the Underworld regardless of my wishes?” I paused, letting my chest rise and fall heavily. “It’s frightening, Daeira, to think she’s the same as the rest of my demented family, to think I unknowingly fell right into the same kind of arms I was running from…”  
Daeira gently pulled my hand into hers, her thumb stroking my skin in soothing circles. “Well, I don’t know if it will be any consolation, but Hades doesn’t seem like she did it with malicious intent, in my opinion.”  
“We’ll see.”  
“Soon?”  
“Soon,” I confirmed.  
Daeira smiled brightly and for a moment, I remembered her in Elysium, looking perfectly alive, whole, and happy, which made me realize how unhappy she usually seemed. I never truly considered how terrified and sad she must be, no longer being alive, but she made the best of her situation, much better than I ever would have been able to.  
“Daeira, I know they’re just words, but again… I’m so very sorry. I am. I didn’t think and I should have.”  
“Well, they aren’t just words if you mean it… Do you, Persephone?”  
“I swear,” I nodded.  
“Good.” She leaned in and kissed my cheek before pulling away quickly, almost playfully. "Now, show me some of these fancy powers I’ve been hearing so much about.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persephone resolves herself to speak with Hades.

I had been procrastinating this for far too long, standing near the front steps, picking at and smoothing down my black peplos because of nerves.  
I sighed with finality, squared my shoulders, and knocked on the door.  
It opened immediately.  
I didn’t wait for a greeting before I started speaking with rushed words. “I know, I know, I should have come sooner…”  
I was cut off by a warm hug that quite literally swept me off my feet and knocked the breath out of me with its force.  
“Hypnos, I can’t breathe!”  
He laughed as he took a few steps backwards into his house before setting me down firmly. “Sorry, I’ve just missed you! Are you well? You certainly look well. More ravishing every day, I swear it.”  
“Quit it with your flattery. You should be angry with me,” I said, but I couldn’t help but flush with pleasure. I reached up and touched his hair, wrapping a short, brown curl around my finger lightly. “You decided to keep the color. I approve.”  
Hypnos snapped his fingers and a few of his sons appeared. “One of you go get my brother.”  
“Which one?”  
Hypnos eyed the speaker. “Who do you think? I’m pretty sure he’s at home right now. I would never hear the end of it if he found out Persephone graced me with her presence and I didn’t tell him about it.”  
I watched as the Oneiroi disappeared. “You know you don’t need to make such an event out of a visit from me, right?”  
“Nonsense. I’m just happy you aren’t mad at me anymore.”  
He tried leading me further into his house but I caught his arm. “Hypnos, I wasn’t ever mad at you or your brother. I knew it was only Hades and Hecate, and Hecate didn’t have much of a choice on the matter, so really…”  
“So staying with the Erinyes was…”  
“Unintentional. I didn’t know you weren’t welcome. I just needed time away from Hades, time to think. I hope you can forgive me.”  
I felt a breeze behind me. “You’re forgiven!”  
I turned to Thanatos with a raised eyebrow. “That was quick.”  
“I dropped everything the moment I heard.” He winked and kissed my cheek quickly.  
I returned it but looked stern. “I hear you haven’t been seeing Daeira? Is it over already?”  
“Oh, it’s not that. It’s just been terribly awkward with Hades and we’ve avoided the palace since…”  
“Since?” I implored.  
“Since we got into a dispute defending your honor, my lady.” Hypnos bowed deeply. “Now, are you actually coming inside or are we going to just socialize in the entry room?”  
Thanatos closed the front door. “We don’t approve of what happened, you know. She should have told you, but she really didn’t tell anyone, not even her closest friends.” His voice went lower as he finished.  
Hypnos led me further into the house, which was just like I remembered, hazy and dreamlike. “You know, my… Pasithea wasn’t too thrilled with our arrangement when she found out either.”  
“What happened?”  
“It happened so long ago. We’re so old yet we still feel young, so you can imagine how I acted back then. I didn’t know. Hera wanted revenge on Zeus for a reason I can’t remember for the life of me, something to do with infidelity, I’m sure. She wanted me to put him to sleep as part of her plot and as you can probably assume, I was not thrilled with the idea of it. She persuaded me by swearing one of her Charites, Pasithea, to me as a bride. She even swore on the Styx. It’s one of my vices, beautiful women. I really regret not warning Paris when I had the chance.” Hypnos chuckled lightly. “Pasithea wasn’t pleased. After awhile, we got used to each other, we had children, it was nice… but it didn’t change the fact that it wasn’t what she wanted. I feel guilty. That’s why I let her go. There isn’t much more I can do.”  
“I’m really starting to hate the Styx.”  
“Well, she is the goddess of hate, so it’s fitting.”  
Hypnos elbowed Thanatos. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that even if… you know… There are different ways to make the best of the situation, even if it seems to be inescapable.”  
“Yes, I suppose so,” I said quietly, fingering the edge of my peplos. “So, have you both been well?”  
“For the most part, yes… I mean… I have been sick and distraught with worry for you, my lady!”  
Hypnos received another eye roll from me. “Do you ever take anything seriously?”  
“We’re tired.”  
“And cold,” Thanatos added.  
“What?”  
“Not that Hypnos would know, but the mortal world is absolutely awful. It really is freezing up there. Our sisters quite enjoy all the death.”  
“And since it’s still freezing there, working with our brother has only increased, but you’ve certainly helped lighten the load, so to speak.”  
“It’s really amazing how long you can do it for. Don’t you get tired?”  
“Yeah, where are you hiding it?” Hypnos lifted one of my arms and maneuvered it so I was flexing. “Storing it in these big muscles?”  
“You’ve been watching me, haven’t you?” I laughed and pulled my arm away from him. “These big muscles have been sparring with the Erinyes lately, so you better be careful.”  
Thanatos lifted his hand to his forehead and pretended to feel faint. Hypnos took the opportunity of his eyes being closed to push him over the railing he was leaning against. Thanatos yelped as he fell over the side and I rushed to the edge, only to see that he had fallen into a bed of pillows on the level below and was laughing.  
I hadn’t truly realized how much I had missed them and their constant light-hearted bickering. I was so certain they were going to be angry with me, I certainly deserved it, but my shoulders didn’t feel so heavy anymore. It felt like everything was the same.  
Well, it felt the same if I didn’t think about Hades.  
“So, shall I fetch a bottle or three of wine? I hear you’ve been drinking more lately. Can’t say I disapprove.”  
I sighed heavily. “It seems I have spies everywhere.”  
Thanatos pulled himself over the railing, which was so absurd to watch that I stood mute. “You can’t blame us for wanting to make sure you’re alright, for the most part. We’ve taken you under our wings.”  
Hypnos led us into a private room, pushing the gauzy curtain back so I could enter. It was hazy with the smoke of incense and nests of pillows were scattered around haphazardly. When I took a seat with Thanatos, Hypnos left and returned with a pitcher and three goblets.  
Hypnos started the toast. “To new friends…”  
“... becoming old friends,” Thanatos finished.  
“And to coming home,” I added over the brim of my goblet.  
We drank.  
“I’ll have you know that I haven’t been drinking out of sadness, in case either of you got that idea.”  
“What then?”  
“Boredom.”  
“Why are you bored?”  
“There’s not really anything to do at the Erinyes’, especially when they’re gone. The Arae make terrible hosts and I spar with Alecto and Megaera when they’re home but… no books, no sex, no…”  
Thanatos choked on his wine.  
Hypnos was leering at me. “No sex, you say?”  
I narrowed my eyes at them before I realized, raising my voice in exasperation. “Why does everyone think I’m having sex with Alecto?”  
Thanatos roared with laughter, falling back onto the bed of pillows while Hypnos reached to grab his goblet before he accidentally spilled any wine.  
“Because Alecto is Alecto and you’re… you.”  
“What do you mean by that?” I said cautiously, taking a guarded sip of wine.  
“Alecto can do whatever and whoever she wants in her bed however frequently and I’m not judging her either way because I’m not the picture of chastity either, but Alecto is known to be voracious, to say the least. I know she likes women, too, and you are a ravishing and irresistible beauty. Wasn’t she trying to woo you when you first met here? What ever came from that?”  
I ignored the last part. They didn’t need to know how close our friendship teetered on that fragile line before inevitable free fall. A part of me wanted to take the plunge but I didn’t want to sleep with Alecto if it was only because I was mad at Hades, and since I wasn’t sure… I didn’t act on it. Alecto deserved so much better than that.  
“Alecto and I are just friends. Aren’t you two her friends, too?”  
Thanatos and Hypnos eyed each other before Thanatos said, “Alecto doesn’t keep friends, just people for sexual favors.”  
“Well, I haven’t had sex with her, regardless of her reputation, not that it would be any business of yours if I had been screaming her name every night for the past couple weeks.”  
That time, both of them choked on their wine while I grinned and took another drink.  
“Must imagine… Persephone with… dignity and respect.”  
“You better.”  
We socialized and talked for awhile longer, mostly about their mother and what she thought about recent events, but when Hypnos tried to refill my wine glass, I stopped him.  
“No, just the one was fine.”  
“You’re stopping at one glass? That’s no fun.”  
It wasn’t one glass if I counted the two I had with Alecto before leaving. “No, I think the incense is getting to me as well. What is in those things?”  
“Just something to help people relax.”  
“Great,” I murmured sarcastically. I had wanted a clear head, for the most part.  
“Why only one glass? Have somewhere to be?”  
“As a matter of fact, I do.”  
“Oh? Where to?”  
I took a deep breath as I stood, shaking out my peplos. “I’m going to speak with Hades. I wanted to see you before…”  
“Oh.”  
“Oh is right.”  
“I don’t even know what to say.”  
“Should we be wishing you well?”  
“Or should we secure our valuables in case of another earthquake?”  
I stopped in the doorway, grasping the curtain lightly as I skimmed my thumb over the soft fabric. “I’m not sure. I’ve just put it off for too long and I know… I know I can’t leave things the way they are right now. Everything feels broken, like I’ve caused a rift between everyone.”  
They both started stumbling over words, trying to beat each other to saying it first. “You didn’t cause it.”  
“Perhaps,” was all I said before slightly changing the topic. “As I’ve been told, I only have to listen to her.”  
The twins looked at each other and they both stood. “Should we come with you?”  
“That isn’t necessary.”  
“We would like to.”  
I didn’t have the heart to argue with them. I was trying to keep my nerves under control, just enough so my power wouldn’t start acting up. It had been infuriating seeing Hades as calm as she was and if I had enough self-control, I could do the same. They followed me out of the house when I didn’t protest.  
“I’m assuming she’s at the Hall?”  
“Probably.”  
I held out my hands to them. “Shall we?”  
“We’ll give you the honors, my lady.”  
My hands grasping theirs firmly, I summoned my power, always too eager to make its presence known, and took us to the Hall of Judgement.  
It was just as intimidating as ever, giant columns towering into the air at impossible heights. Long black shadows were cast into the barren Underworld in every direction, flickering slightly because of the firelight. I couldn’t hear anyone within, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t there.  
We all stood unmoving and silent for several minutes, their hands still in mine. Having them here beside me, ready to face their ruler for me, gave me a feeling I couldn’t quite articulate. They would stand up to their king all because of me and that was something I never had before. My heart swelled in my chest and I squeezed their hands.  
“Thank you for coming with me. It means so much but… I think I need to do this alone.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“I’m sure.” I nodded and cleared my throat, dropping their hands. “And please, don’t eavesdrop. If anything happens, I will tell you, Hecate, Alecto, Daeira, and whoever else personally before I go off and do something rash again, okay? I swear it.”  
They pulled me into a group hug and I was dwarfed by their size. I laughed as they practically smothered me, both taking the time to kiss my hair.  
“You know, I’m not going in there until you’re gone. Both of you are sweet, but you can’t be trusted.”  
They laughed, bowed theatrically, summoned their power separately, and left.  
I entered the Hall without any delay, breathing deeply to try to keep calm, but breathing deeply caused me to smell a horrible stench immediately. My stomach flipped as I tried to keep my composure when a figure rounded one of the columns.  
It was a man, or something close to it. His skin was a shade of pale blue with dark veins lacing through it and when he smiled, his cracked lips spreading apart, it revealed blackened teeth that were sharpened into points. The smell of rot only worsened when he opened his mouth.  
“You must be Eurynomos,” I nodded.  
He continued to smile. “I’m surprised you’ve heard of me.”  
I shrugged and smiled, fighting to not show my revulsion or how my eyes had started watering.  
Eurynomos bowed deeply and moved to leave. “My queen.”  
I bit my lip when he turned his back to me, but I said, “Not yet!”  
He only gave a raspy laugh as he disappeared outside.  
I rushed further inside to get away from the smell, breathing deeply as the stench lessened. I hid behind one last column before I made my presence known to catch my breath. I could hear Hades speaking quietly with the judges, but I wasn’t here to eavesdrop. I moved into the light.  
They saw me immediately and the judges quieted. I watched how they tried to keep their eyes from showing fear and I smiled as I walked closer.  
Hades shifted in her throne to sit straight. “You may leave.”  
They vanished, but I didn’t say anything.  
“I take it you bumped into Eurynomos?”  
I winced in response to her question and I saw the corner of her mouth raise slightly. “Why does he look… and smell… like that?”  
“As you know, deities can change their forms at will, even minor deities, like daimones. The deities down here tend to look different or unpleasant, so they change their appearance to what they see fit, normal, beautiful, what have you.” Hades waved her hand for effect. “Eurynomos doesn’t.”  
“But can he?”  
“He can. He just doesn’t care. He doesn’t feel the need to hide who, or what, he is. That being said… he doesn’t get much visitors.”  
“That’s fair.”  
We fell into silence, Hades watching me, and me regarding Hades in the most neutral expression I could muster. She was dressed elegantly, wearing heavy jewelry and her crown, but she had dark circles under her eyes, so dark they looked like bruises. My eyes widened when I noticed and Hades glanced away sharply.  
“Are you not well?”  
She looked back to me. “I’m very tired, but I’m glad you look well. I hear you’ve been helping Charon.”  
“I have.”  
“Thank you.”  
“You’re welcome.”  
We fell into silence again, but it didn’t last long. Hades sighed heavily and asked, “Persephone, why are you here?”  
“To talk to you.”  
“Then talk.”  
“I’m not going to talk to you when you’re up there.” I nodded to her throne.  
“Oh?” She murmured, raising her dark eyebrow in amusement. I didn’t reply. She stood gracefully and descended the stairs, eyes locked on me the entire time. When her sandals touched the main level, she spoke again. “Well?”  
“I came here to listen to you explain yourself. I didn’t give you the chance, last time.”  
“And what makes you think I need to explain myself to you? I am King here.”  
“If you don’t want to explain yourself, I can leave. I won’t bother returning.” I turned to leave. “And you aren’t my king, Hades. I don’t have one and I never will.”  
“Wait!”  
I turned back to her. “That’s what I thought.”  
I could tell she wanted to snap at my last comment, but she held her tongue. “What do you want to know?”  
I opened my mouth to speak, I had so many questions to ask, questions that had been plaguing me endlessly, but nothing came out. Finally, my voice broke with, “Hades… Why?”  
Hades’ eyes softened for a moment so brief I barely detected it. “You’re going to have to be slightly more specific, Persephone.”  
“Why didn’t you tell me about the arrangement? You had so many chances, yet I had to find out from the Moirai, of all people.”  
Hades didn’t answer immediately, weighing what she was going to say. I watched as she hid her hands in the folds of her himation, presumably so I couldn’t see her fidget with them because of nerves.  
She was nervous.  
“It happened so long ago, the war was still fresh in my mind, I was locked down here… It happened. Yes, you were a gift from your father. He swore it on the Styx, but it was forgotten. Centuries passed and I guess I just remembered.”  
“Why?”  
She looked at me sharply. “Why does it matter?”  
“Tell me.”  
“I was lonely and I… I can’t do this alone.” The last part faded into a whisper, so soft I could barely hear her.  
“What?”  
“I can’t rule the Underworld by myself anymore. It was so much more manageable at first, how small this place was, but it grows. It expands every day. It’s too large for me to rule singlehandedly.” She grimaced, but rubbed her eyes. “Even with all this extra power, I’m still tired.”  
“Continue.”  
She glared at me but obliged. “I remembered and I met with your father… who was suddenly and suspiciously unsupportive of the arrangement. We argued and it became clear to me exactly why he no longer wanted us to marry. I left and spoke to Hestia, and you know what happened after that.”  
“But why didn’t you tell me? You could have told me then, or any time during these past few months.”  
“That night… I thought you knew. I thought someone had told you that you were promised to marry me, or tell you that you were supposed to marry, at the very least.” She sighed heavily. “I thought you were waiting for me, you know, but then I realized…”  
“You realized I didn’t know,” I hissed. I was so sick of the phrase. I didn’t know. I never knew.  
“You didn’t know who I was, you didn’t know why I was there, and I just… decided not to tell you. I didn’t want to scare you or perhaps I was cowardly and didn’t want to be the one to tell you that I was your betrothed. Since then, I didn’t know when or if I should tell you, if it would just make it worse.”  
I laughed harshly. “It made it worse.”  
“I realize that now, but at the time… I thought maybe we could be normal. I thought we had the chance of becoming friends and I hoped it would lead to something more.”  
“I can’t believe I fell right into your trap,” I whispered.  
“Trap? What are you talking about?”  
“Why did you warn me about my father?” I snapped.  
The question and my tone stopped her. She looked at me questioningly. “Was I not supposed to?”  
“Did you only warn me because I am supposed to be your wife? Because I’m your property?”  
“No, of course not. I would have warned anyone.”  
“You filled me with ideas of the Underworld, warned me about my father, all so you could lure me…”  
“What?” Hades cut me off, taking a fast step towards me. “You think I lured you down here? You think I lied so you would fall into my arms, so I could be your savior?” Her voice was cold with anger. “How low do you think of me, Persephone? Do you think I’m the villain your father is painting me to gods and mortals alike? Is that what you want, for me to be your villain?” Hades loomed over me, close enough for me to see that her eyes were a bottomless black of hurt and rage. “I could be your villain.”  
“No,” I murmured quietly. “That isn’t what I want.”  
“What do you want, Persephone?” She didn't let her eyes leave mine, her way of challenging me.  
I had been trying to keep as calm as possible, but something in me snapped.  
“What do I want?” I repeated. “You know nothing of me, of what I want, of who I am. You only know what I have chosen to show you.”  
Hades moved back a fraction.  
“I want you to bare your darkness to me like you bared your skin. I want you on your knees with your heart in your hands while you beg for my forgiveness. I want to see you for what you are, without your armor, your finery, or your cool facade. I want to pry your ribs apart, one by one, to see what’s underneath. Tell me, is it hollow? If I asked, would you let me?”  
“My heart was in my hands the moment I met you. Have I not offered it time and time again? If you were made for me, like the Fates say, my heart was made for you. Take it, if you wish. Do whatever you want to it. Sink your vicious teeth into it and drink my very ichor, burn it to ashes with the flames you so carelessly manipulate, abandon it in Tartarus for it to never see the light again. I do not care. It is yours.” Hades’ eyes shone with fire behind them.  
“And do you want me to kneel and beg for you? You want to tear my flesh away from my bone to see the skeleton of my being underneath? I will.” She ripped off her crown, her jewelry, her clothing, until there was only skin, and she lowered herself onto the stone floor before me. “I do not bow for anyone, yet I will for you. You are my queen, my equal. I will worship you like you are my patron and I am mortal, until we have grown so old our forms scatter across the realm and we are mere ideas, until we forget the meaning of time and it ceases to be. I will worship you and love you, and perhaps you will never feel the same and that is fine, but I will always treat you fairly, with the respect and adoration you deserve. You will never be as powerful as you are here, by my side. I offer you my heart and my kingdom and my riches and I am on my knees before you. What more could you want? I would give you anything you asked of me.”  
I grabbed Hades’ throat, feeling her pulse racing beneath my fingertips, but I couldn’t deny that mine was racing along with hers. She tilted her head back for me, waiting. “I want to see you.”  
She nodded, closing her eyes. I felt her power wash over me with the force of a tidal wave. Darkness blanketed the room, suffocating the braziers, but it was warm… familiar… like I had known it from my birth. When Hades opened her eyes, I saw the reflection of flames burning behind her dark irises, illuminating them like fire.  
I moved my hand to the side of her face, feeling the hard edge of her jaw in my palm as I skimmed my thumb across her cheek. With a sigh, I released my power completely, as she had done. I sank to my knees in front of her when I felt our powers colliding, yielding, mingling with each other. I could feel every stroke as if it was on my own body.  
It was finally giving in to what my power had wanted from the beginning, to become one with Hades.  
I rested my forehead against Hades’ and opened my eyes.  
She touched my cheek gently. Everything was warm; her skin, her breath, her eyes. “We have the same eyes, like this.”  
I closed them again and just breathed. “No more secrets, no more lies, no hiding anymore.”  
“Persephone, I’m sorry.”  
“I know.”  
I kissed her, our power circling around us, and for the first time, we truly became one.  
* * *  
“You know, this isn’t exactly comfortable.” Hades chuckled and I felt the vibrations of it from where my head was resting on her chest. We had spread out her himation to lay on the floor of the Hall of Judgement.  
I was holding her hand, our fingers tangled together, and raised it into the air. Our power, completely unintelligible from one another, responded like water above us, parting, sliding over our skin. “I never want to get up.”  
“Me either.”  
Hades used her free hand to tip my chin up so she could capture my lips with hers. “How secretive you’ve grown, how much you’ve changed. I should have taken you sooner.”  
I drew her bottom lip between my teeth and bit down before moving my head away. “You wouldn’t.”  
“No,” she admitted. “I should have. I had the chance, once.”  
“What?”  
“You were so young, just a girl, just on the verge of turning the age to wed, even for the mortals.” Hades sighed, her eyes growing distant with memory. “I was in the mortal world, although I can’t remember why. I saw you in a meadow, you were being watched by several nymphs of your mother’s. They called your Kore and how true it was. You were so pure, so naive, so unbelievably light and good. You didn’t know how wrong and sick our family was, not then.”  
“What happened?”  
“The nymphs left you alone briefly. You were picking flowers, so beautiful the very sun seemed to illuminate you, and I wanted to reach out to you so badly. I could have taken you right then and it would have been so easy, but I could have sworn you looked right at me. Even though you were so young, something about the way you looked just then told me you were defiant without fault. You would have fought. I didn’t want it to be like that.” She looked back at me, trying to read my expression, trying to see if she should have told me that secret or not.  
“Would you rather have someone docile? Someone who would have went willingly?”  
“No, I would rather have someone who would fight for herself, would traverse great distances, would plunge head first into the realm of the dead and abandon everything she knew if it meant freedom.”  
“Hmmm… Good luck finding someone like that,” I teased.  
Hades laughed and pulled me into another kiss. “You are everything and more.”  
“But I don’t remember seeing you,” I said. “I would have remembered.”  
“You wouldn’t have seen me, which was why I thought it was so strange you looked in my direction, like you knew.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Did you know that the mortals sometimes call me the Unseen One? Do you know why that is?”  
I thought for a moment. “Because you live here and rarely ever leave?”  
Hades smiled. “I’m sure that’s part of it, but there’s something else. During the Titanomachy, after we freed the Cyclopes from Tartarus, they forged us special gifts to help us defeat the Titans.”  
“Zeus was given his lightning bolts and…”  
“Poseidon, his trident, but I was also given something. We called it the Helm of Darkness at the time, but it seems to have taken on my name as well, just like the Underworld. The Helm of Hades.”  
“A helmet? What does it do?”  
“It turns me invisible, even to the point of not being able to be detected by other gods. I rarely use it anymore, but it was used frequently during the war and after, I would use it when I ventured to the mortal realm. I let Athena borrow it during the Trojan War… Ares has been cross with me ever since, because of that. Now, it is only used when I go into Tartarus. Things from there call me the Unseen One, too.”  
“Where do you keep it?”  
“Somewhere safe,” she said cautiously.  
“I’m not going to try to take it, if that’s what you’re worried about.”  
“You, resisting temptation? I doubt that.” Hades rolled her eyes. “It’s hidden in my chambers in my bedroom and before you get any ideas, know that I can summon the helm to my side whenever I wish.”  
“Do you think I could use it to visit the mortal realm?”  
She started looking apologetic. “I want to say yes but…”  
“It’s very dangerous, I know.”  
“I’m sorry,” Hades murmured, stroking my side lightly. We fell into silence, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Her chest rose and fell deeply and I didn’t think I had ever felt so whole, so at peace.  
“Do you still hear them?”  
“Hear what?”  
“The voices… The Moirai told me they showed you some of it.”  
“I don’t hear it anymore.”  
“I think that’s for the best. Maybe it will only happen if…”  
“If?”  
“If you bind yourself here, as I have done. I didn’t hear them before, either.”  
“So the others?”  
She knew I meant the other deities. “They aren’t bound here and they don’t hear them. I think it’s reserved only for the ruler of this place… How lucky I am.”  
“They said such strange things…”  
“Do you not think them true? I do.” Hades leaned back and closed her eyes again, listening to the voices I couldn’t hear. “How they adore you, Persephone. How they wailed when they felt your power for the first time, when you denied me. They scream your name in worship, in prayer. I remember when they were only whispers, only pleas for another queen, yet when you arrived… The whispers turned into screams. They knew you. They knew you were part of this place. They knew who you were meant to become.”  
I didn’t say anything. I didn’t know what to say. Even now, the things they said, the epithets they gave me… They didn’t seem possible.  
“This is how we are meant to be, Persephone. Can’t you feel it?”  
“Naked and on the floor of the Hall of Judgement, where we just made love?” I supplied with a grin. I turned my head so I could press my lips into her neck.  
Hades laughed, her fingers splaying across my hip. “That isn’t what I meant, but sure.”  
“I know.”  
“We are meant to be together, to be one. We are so much stronger this way.”  
“Strength isn’t the only thing you feel, surely.”  
“No, it isn’t,” Hades murmured, kissing me slowly and surely. “This feels right. With you, I am whole and I am happy. I didn’t notice before… how could I not notice? I was half of myself, I realize that now.”  
I brought my lips to hers again, my hand going into her soft hair. “I’ve realized, too.”  
“As much as I don’t want to, I think we should probably leave before the judges come back, or who knows who else.”  
She had a point. We started to get dressed quickly, taking the time to let our power dissipate and try to sort through what fabrics were hers and what were mine. Then, we heard voices approaching and just dressed with whatever we could find before the owners of the voices could see us. We finished just in time, but I noticed Hades was wearing one of my fibulae. I looked down to see I was wearing one of hers.  
Hades noticed and she smiled.  
Someone knocked on stone, the sound echoing. Hecate peered around a column. “Should I expect destruction or am I safe?”  
Hades glanced at me warmly before speaking. “You’re safe.”  
Hecate glanced between us with narrow eyes. “Well, I’m certainly glad you’re speaking again. Made up in more ways than one, have we?”  
Another voice. “Is everything okay?”  
“Yes, you can come in.”  
The judges approached cautiously, eyeing me.  
“Lord Hades, we still have more souls to see today.”  
Hades sighed heavily and gave me an apologetic look.  
“It’s fine, it’s fine.” I approached her and kissed her cheek.  
“Thank you, my queen.” I felt her cheek expand into a smile beside mine as she murmured the words.  
“I’m not your queen, Hades,” I whispered. “Not yet, not until we’re married, and I will only marry when I want to marry, not a moment sooner.”  
Hades laughed as she waved me goodbye.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persephone reaches an agreement with Hades.

“Come on!” I laughed, looking down from the top of the hill as I shook the bag in my hand. “What’s taking so long? You can’t possibly be winded… You’re dead!”  
Daeira glared up at me from the bottom of the staircase. “I didn’t sign up for this. You didn’t tell me we had to hike all the way here.”  
“Well, I could have used my power but I didn’t think it was necessary. The palace is right there.” I waited patiently as she climbed the stairs and pointed to the stables. “Look, it’s just over there!”  
She narrowed her eyes at me. “I despise you. I could have just popped over here myself and waited for you, if you’re suddenly so against using your power for no reason at all other than to vex me.”  
I laughed. “Oh, Daeira, to think I thought you missed me while I was away.”  
“I was deluded and out of my mind, clearly,” she muttered. “I’m starting to see why Markos dislikes you.”  
“Oh, just you wait to see what torment I have in store for him.”  
Daeira rolled her eyes. “I don’t even want to know.”  
I started walking again. “Tell me, I’ve been dying to know, how did Markos react when he heard the news? That Hades and I are supposed to marry? If one good thing came out of this entire situation, it would be that.”  
“He was not pleased.”  
“What did he look like? Did his face get red? Oh, you know what I mean!” I laughed. “I wish I could have been there to see it.”  
“You really shouldn’t antagonize him so much.”  
“Oh, the betrayal!” I gasped. “Daeira, I thought you were on my side.”  
She rolled her eyes. “Persephone, your decision to constantly torture and torment him is not the most mature decision you’ve made, you have to admit.”  
“While you have a point and usually I’m not prone to such fancies, you weren’t here in the beginning. He was very rude when I had done nothing to him and still continues to be rude. What is life without retaliation?”  
“You’ve been spending too much time with the Erinyes.”  
When we reached the stables, I set the bag down so I could have both my hands to pull the door open. Even as I touched the door handle, I could hear movement inside. I smiled because the horses were anxious to see me.  
Daeira toed the dirt with her sandal. “Are you sure we should be doing this?”  
“Of course I’m sure. It’s not like Hades can tell me what I can and can’t do,” I said while I tugged the door open. “Besides, I snuck out here during the night all the time.”  
“Because that makes me feel so much better.”  
With a wave of my hand, all the torches in the stables flared to life and Daeira handed me the bag of apples back. The horses came galloping towards us.  
“Persephone, what the…”  
I dug into the bag for a few apples, handing two of them to Daeira. “They’ll love you if you give them some. I should know. It worked for me.”  
She took them gingerly, eyes never leaving the massive beasts.  
“You should be glad I’m not taking you to meet Cerberus… Actually, now that I think of it, that could be tomorrow.”  
Even as a wraith, Daeira somehow paled noticeably. “I saw him on my way in. I’d rather not.”  
Meanwhile, one of them tried sticking its head into the bag. I pulled it away, yelling, “Hey! Be patient!”  
I hid the bag behind my back while Daeira giggled and I offered an apple to the one closest to me. It snatched it out of my hand quickly and as it chewed, I stroked its neck. “Has Hades been neglecting you?”  
They shook their heads in reply, startling Daeira.  
“No apples, even?” I gasped in horror when they indicated I was right. “How horrible she’s been to you!” I gave them more apples but started talking to Daeira again. “When Hades gets upset, she sure does take it pretty far. The horses didn’t do anything to her.”  
“Persephone! That’s a horrible thing to say!”  
I shrugged. “The mess was of her own making. She still has much to atone for.”  
Daeira sighed heavily. “I thought you forgave her already, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”  
“It was a start, but Hades has been king of this realm and its inhabitants for far too long. She’s grown too used to ruling. Yes, she treats the others as friends, but she is still their ruler and she knows it. This is evident from the way she handled the situation with our arrangement and the secret she kept it in, as well as forcing Hecate to be complicit.” I paused to gather my thoughts. “I never planned to marry, especially not when I do not feel for men. I would never be a wife, or a subject. I won’t ever submit and I refuse to be looked at as merely a second. Hades will not be forgiven until she sees me as her equal in every way. Maybe, after that, I’ll consider marrying her.”  
“Didn’t she already say you are her equal?”  
“Saying is not the same as doing, Daeira,” I chided. “There is only one throne on that dais.”  
“But Persephone… You must know that we aren’t supposed to…”  
I knew that when Daeira said we, she meant women.  
“To what? To rule? To be treated as equals to our husbands?” I chuckled. “Last time I checked, Hades was not a man and she rules this realm just fine. Also, because she’s not a man, she won’t be my husband, will she?”  
Daeira quieted and looked away from me.  
“Regardless of her male titles, she will be my wife,” I said firmly. “There is nothing between us that we will not share. There is nothing between us to decide who is inferior to who.”  
“Your conviction is admirable,” a voice said from the door and I looked up to see Alecto leaning against its frame, dressed in a simple peplos. “They told me I could find you here.”  
“Alecto,” I smiled warmly and moved to hug her. “I’ve missed you. How is your bedroom? Your wine supply?”  
“It’s slowly returning to proper levels.” We embraced, kissing each other on the cheek. “I never realized how much space my room and my bed contained until you left! That being said…” Alecto’s eyes flicked to Daeira, who was trying to busy herself by feeding more apples to the horses and trying to not be intrusive. “It’s been quiet with you gone.”  
“I thought it would be best to leave while you were away, so you could have your room all to yourself when you returned, as a surprise. I left a note, did the Arae not give it to you?” I searched her face, trying to see if I had done something wrong that would trouble her.  
“No, I received it. I guess I didn’t realize how much I had grown used to you.”  
I glanced at Daeira, who was blatantly trying to give us discretion, but was still eavesdropping nonetheless. “Leave us.”  
She looked up sharply, mouth already formed into protest. “But--”  
I gave her a hard look. This had been one of Hades’ new gifts to me, to be able to make Daeira leave me alone if I wished it because I didn’t need her constant surveillance or supervision, since I had been able to sneak away multiple times. I had never admitted to exactly how many excursions I had and certainly didn’t tell Hades about my accidental trip to the mortal world.  
Daeira stiffened, but finally bowed. She disappeared as the judges did, saying, “my lady.”  
“I see you’re starting to fill the role already.”  
“My role, as you call it, is just for show. I know it is. If she really intended for me to rule by her side, she would be educating me, teaching me, showing me all of what this realm has to offer, both good and bad. Yet she has kept me mostly contained in her palace, with a few supervised excursions to other safe places, as if I am a bird in a cage.”  
“An astute observation,” Alecto remarked while she watched the horses. “I think it may at first have been because Hades knew you didn’t have any way to protect yourself here. Yes, you have been trained in combat, but your powers of life were null, and you are in a place where beings are as old as the earth, trained to kill, with powers all their own.”  
“But…” I started to protest.  
Alecto put her hand over my mouth with a grin. “Persephone, for your own good, do be quiet and let me finish what I was saying.”  
I grumbled unhappily but she drew her hand away.  
“She wanted to protect you and she had plenty of reasons to want to and to have to. That was most likely the reason in the beginning, up until recently. She apparently didn’t know you had any chthonic powers, let alone as much as you have access to. Now, I think, she doesn’t know what to do with you. As you said to Daeira, she is used to going unchecked, ruling by herself, answering to none.”  
“How long were you listening?”  
“Long enough.”  
“Eavesdropping?” I arched an eyebrow.  
Alecto grinned. “Not at all. I was simply waiting to announce my presence.”  
I laughed, but Alecto stayed quiet, her grin drifting to only a faint smile.  
“The only way to solve it is to either be patient and wait for Hades to figure it out by herself, or you can take charge and show her what you want. Knowing you, I don’t think there’s much of a choice to contemplate.”  
“You do know me,” I agreed softly.  
She looked down at what I was wearing. “It’s strange… seeing you like this. Hades gave you all sorts of jewelry before. I thought it was just a way of showing temporary affection, as lovers usually do, but now… You are dressed like a queen, even though you are choosing not to wear a crown, and I come here to listen to you speak of ruling and of power… It is different. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. You were born for this, as the Moirai would say. Your parents are from the Dodekatheon, and even then, two of the original six children of Cronus and Rhea.”  
“Alecto, come here.” I reached my arms out to her and frowned when she hesitated. She waited a moment before caving and stepping into my arms. I ran my hands up her bare arms until they rested on her cheeks and gently pulled her head to rest against my forehead. I felt her pulse increase while I looked into her eyes.  
“Alecto, you are my friend. You have helped me through so much. You are the only one who I trust with my secrets and with my desires. You know me as no one else has ever known me. If you and Tisiphone were telling the truth, you knew me before and you know I didn’t change overnight.”  
She closed her eyes and drew in a shaky breath.  
“You cared about me before, and now? You know how I feel.”  
Alecto opened her eyes slowly and nodded. I felt her hand rest on my hip lightly, as if she didn’t want to touch me at all or she didn't trust herself if she did.  
“I can’t even begin to imagine what kind of burden this may be. It isn’t fair to you,” I murmured, stroking her cheek with my thumb. “Do you remember our kiss that first night? We had no idea what we were getting into, did we?”  
She laughed faintly. “No, we didn’t. I thought you were some pretty girl that was only here for cheap thrills that I could bed and who would leave in a week.”  
“Sorry to disappoint.” I laughed and pulled away from her slightly. “Now we care deeply for each other. It would have been best if we had just gotten it out of our system that night, wouldn’t it?”  
Alecto grinned. “If only I had known all the grief you’d give me. I didn’t have time to prepare properly.”  
“Oh, but you love it, don’t you?” I leaned over to kiss her cheek and she swatted me away.  
“I feel as though I’ve aged at least two millennia since I’ve met you.”  
“If it’s made you wiser, you’re welcome.” I turned to the horses. “Now, apparently they’ve been neglected and it’s up to me to fix that. Will you ride with me?”  
She didn’t seem very fond of the idea as she eyed them carefully. “On Hades’ horses?”  
“Technically, I now own this realm and everything in it, so they’re my horses, too.” I sent the horses a hopeful look that meant I hoped they understood I didn’t mean it personally and that they wouldn’t try to hurt Alecto for it.  
“Oh, well, in that case…” She winked and hopped onto one of the horses without delay.  
* * *  
“You know,” Hades murmured, coming up from behind me to kiss my neck and startling me from my reading. “I always did enjoy coming home to this.”  
I moved my stack of parchment off of the bed so she wouldn’t damage them and sighed. “I’m not here just to be the lover you come to for sex every night.”  
“I know.” She brushed my hair out of her way so she could trail kisses from my neck to my shoulder. I moved my head to accommodate her as she unclipped one of the fibulae and slid the fabric off my shoulder to expose my breast. “But I must admit, it’s an added benefit.”  
My skin tightened as the cool air hit it and I leaned back into her embrace. My power started to seep out of me on its own accord, hungry for Hades, and I felt hers react in kind. It pressed into my back before going around my waist and down my legs until it touched the hem of my peplos and started pulling it up ever so slightly.  
"To having you here and to having you as my wife." Hades’ hand slid down to my ribs, fingertips lightly brushing the side of my breast.  
“I’m not your wife.” Regardless of my words, I felt her hand move to cup my breast, her thumb skimming over my nipple. When I inhaled sharply, she chuckled, but I could feel that her own breath was hot and uneven against my shoulder.  
“Is it a problem? Do you not want to make love to me anymore?” Hades whispered into my neck before she pulled my earlobe between her teeth. I felt her hips rock against my back as the heat of her began to build in me. “Is it because you don’t trust me anymore?”  
“I haven’t trusted you for a long time, if ever.” I turned around and pushed Hades back onto the bed. Her crown slipped out of her raven hair and rolled across the bed before clanging onto the stone floor. I felt the hard, unforgiving edges of her hips as they pressed into the inside of my thighs. “I would be a fool to trust you.” Hades tried to reach up to touch me, but I pinned her arms to the bed. “Is that what you think I am?”  
Her gaze drifted lazily to my chest. “No.”  
I leaned down to press my lips into her neck and down her chest, feeling her heartbeat pound under her skin. The last of the fibulae and the girdle holding up my peplos came undone at the same time, letting the fabric fall and pool at my waist.  
“You forget, I don’t need my hands to touch you.”  
“That isn’t exactly fair.” My hair moved across my back before being gathered and tugged backwards, exposing my neck and chest to Hades.  
“Do you think I care about being fair?” I had released her arms and she raised herself up to hold me and bury her face in my neck, crushing my chest against hers. “Don’t you love this? Letting our power free and letting it know each other. Have you noticed how everything feels heightened, this way? I can feel you with every fiber of my being, sense exactly where you are and what you’re doing while I’m away, and yet… I still hunger for you. I am intoxicated with the mere thought of you, so much so that it pains me to be apart from you.” She lifted me up to slide my peplos off of my legs and laid me gently back on the bed.  
“Suffer,” I whispered as I tried not to shake with anticipation. Slick heat was spilling out of me because of our proximity and the way Hades had already positioned herself between my thighs.  
She was right about everything being heightened. I could feel every slight breeze, every beat of her heart, every time her power caressed mine around us in the room, and where we touched… burned. We already suffered for each other.  
Hades leaned towards me and ran a finger down my cheek. “Oh, I fully intend to, since it pleases you so much. It’s the least I can do, since you please me.”  
“Oh?”  
“Seeing how dark your hair and eyes have grown pleases me. Seeing you dress in my colors and wear the jewelry I give you pleases me.” Hades’ finger hooked around the heavy necklace laden with jewels I was wearing.  
Aside from the fibulae, I was still wearing all of my jewelry; the necklace, the arm bands, and the ring Hades had given me the night I returned to her. “Why does it please you?”  
“Because, regardless if you refuse the crown, you already look like my queen. You already are my queen. It is just a title and a few ceremonies. Everyone already knows of your station and they respect it. I hear what they scream for you, every second of the day and even in my dreams, and it pleases me to know that others worship you as I do, blindly and devoutly.” Hades kissed the hollow of my throat and moved her lips to my breasts.  
I arched for her, my hips moving on their own accord, but didn’t say anything. I had no doubt that she could feel the slickness between my thighs and how it was probably getting all over her peplos.  
“Seeing you excited pleases me. Seeing you use your power pleases me because I can see how powerful you are and that shows how alike we are.” Hades’ hands started massaging slow circles into my thighs, opening them ever so slightly more. “Seeing you warming our bed instead of Alecto’s pleases me.”  
I stilled and looked back to her. “Jealousy doesn’t become you, Hades.”  
“Because, in your eyes, I don’t have the right to be jealous?” Hades moved her hands under my thighs and jerked me closer to her, her face impossibly close to mine. “Because, as you so frequently like to point out, we aren’t married yet.”  
“We aren’t,” I quipped but started to unclip Hades’ fibulae.  
Hades turned her head away sharply as she muttered, “Impossible girl.”  
“You should have been sworn some docile little thing on the Styx.” I unclipped the second one and her peplos fell away, her pale skin a sharp contrast to the deep black of the fabric. “It would have been easier to seduce her.”  
She fixed her glowing eyes on me again, wrapping a tendril of my hair around her finger and tugging, just hard enough for it to be on the edge of pain. “Perhaps I should have.”  
“It isn’t any business of yours who I spend my nights with, Hades.”  
“No, I suppose it isn’t. Take lovers, if you want, even when we are married.” She emphasized the inevitability of our marriage. “I cannot and will not control what you do. If you like her so much, bring Alecto into our bed. I don’t mind sharing.”  
I curled my nails into the skin on her neck and she parted her lips but didn’t gasp, which was vaguely disappointing to me. “I am not yours to share and I don’t need your permission to sleep with whom I wish.”  
Her eyes flashed and I could tell she want to strike out at me. I leveled my gaze and dared her to because I would have enjoyed it. She didn’t, of course, but she wrapped her hand around my throat and turned my head so she could press her face into my neck. My heart raced when I felt her teeth graze my skin.  
“Know this, Persephone,” she whispered. “You could take a thousand lovers and they will never make you feel what we feel. We bonded for eternity, solidifying Fate’s decree, when we made love the first time in Elysium. Delaying our marriage will never change that.”  
I tried to move away from her but she held me in place. “Did you know?”  
“That another bond would be placed? I didn’t, although I wasn’t entirely surprised that it happened. I guess we were supposed to wait until we married, but I can’t say I mind your… enthusiasm.” I felt her teeth graze against my neck and nip me, which caused me to jerk under her. “I certainly don’t mind, considering you’re doing everything in your power to prevent our marriage from happening. It would have driven me mad, the waiting.”  
I fought to get my breathing under control enough to make my voice sound normal, but I could feel every muscle in my body straining with the anticipation of Hades' touch. “Do you have issues with restraint?”  
“Not usually, but I was drawn to you as strongly as the moon is drawn to the earth. You said you dreamt of me every night since we first met in Olympus, so do not try to tell me you don’t feel the same. When we are apart, all I can think of is you, as if I have been shot with Eros’ arrows. It is maddening.” Hades sighed and pulled away from me, the absence of her feeling like I had fallen into a frozen lake. “Why do you not want to marry me? Do you not love me? Have I completely destroyed the possibility of it?”  
I sat up and let out the breath I was holding. “Perhaps I am foolish for this, but no, you didn’t destroy the possibility of it. I loved you before and I love you now, but that doesn’t change the fact that you are not forgiven.”  
Hades’ eyes widened when I admitted my love and she reached out her hand to me. “What must I do?”  
I took the hand and laced her fingers through mine, bringing it to my mouth to kiss. I sighed heavily but I was glad that Hades wanted to prove herself to me. That was not the way a selfish king acted.  
“You say that I am your equal, that I am meant to rule this place by your side, yet they are just words, Hades. I don’t know if you can’t see that or if you willfully ignore it. The only time I am at your side is when we are in bed and your fingers are inside me. You want to protect me from this place so you keep me in the palace like a bird in a gilded cage. That is not treating me as an equal. I will not take a title when I know that I am just for show. I will not be respected by our people if you do not show them that I am your equal and I have a place here.”  
“How do you want me to fix it?”  
“Show me your realm. I feel as though I have seen nothing. Yes, Elysium, yes, the grounds around the palace, yes, the homes of some of the other deities, but I have been kept away from anything remotely dangerous or blinded from the true nature of this place.”  
Hades scoffed. “There’s good reason for that. I don’t want you hurt.”  
“I don’t need your protection, Hades. I am just as powerful as you are. Show me other parts of the realm, and that includes Tartarus. If am I to rule, do I not deserve to know everything and understand what goes on? I am not some flower maiden anymore. Do you not think I can handle fire and death? It is as much of a part of me now as it is for you.”  
She bristled at the mention of Tartarus, but she looked around me, at our power mingling together. “I want to keep you from seeing it so badly. Yes, I want to protect you, but I don’t want to see you changed by what you may see.”  
“Hades,” I said sternly.  
She looked at me again, her gaze soft and searching, and sighed, leaning forward to kiss my temple softly. “I would have to prepare for our journey. Pray tell, what else do you want?”  
“Show me the people in our realm, even the ones that are dark and unlike us, the ones that live between the cracks, the ones who worshipped me before I even knew what I was.”  
“I cannot just summon all of them to see me at once.”  
“That’s fine. Just don’t hide me away when they come to visit or bring me with you when you have to visit them.”  
“I… can do that.”  
“I am not a queen if all I do is live inside the palace. Let me help you rule, with the dead and with the deities. Let me counsel you at your side when there are hard decisions to be made.”  
“Do you mean at the Hall of Judgement?”  
I nodded. “But there is only one throne on your dais, and I am not going to stand below you.”  
Hades grinned. “I think something to fix that can be arranged. Now, is there anything else?”  
“You must never keep secrets from me, you must never lie to me, you have to treat me as your true equal, and, possibly the hardest part, you have to love me.”  
Hades’ smile was blinding in my darkened room as she crawled across the bed, her peplos slipping away as she pushed me into the pillows. She brushed the hair away from my face and pressed her hand to my cheek. “On the contrary, I think that may be the easiest thing ever asked of me. I have loved you from the moment I saw you.”  
I kissed her palm, but she moved it to tip my chin up so she could finally kiss me on the mouth. “Hades, I want to marry you.”  
“I can’t wait.” She pressed another smile into my cheek. “Just give the word and I will make it happen.”  
“When you make good on your promises, I will.”  
“The Hall will be decorated, you will be given the finest clothing, your crown will be crafted by Hephaestus himself, and the chthonic deities and creatures will gather from all corners of the realm to bask in the glory of their new queen as she sits upon the throne that is next to mine.” Hades pressed a smile into my lips and I captured it, taking her bottom lip between my teeth before releasing her.  
I moved my hips under Hades, rocking against her body, and watched as she arched backwards, closing her eyes in pleasure. I roughly pulled her closer to me and stuck a hand between us that stopped between her thighs. “I don’t want your promises to be just words.”  
"I will keep them," she whispered into my neck, holding onto me for purchase. When I slid my fingers up, she inhaled sharply. Behind her, I saw her power react to my touch, writhing around us to show her pleasure. I felt her breathing hitch as she started to steadily grind against my fingers, her chest moving against mine, the slow friction of it torturous. "I swear it, Persephone."  
“Can we make love now? I’m getting a bit impatient.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The threat of Zeus persists, causing a threat to be issued and preparations to be started.

“Hades, I don’t appreciate getting summoned like some dog.” I crossed my arms when I arrived at the Hall of Judgement and saw her leaning against one of the columns as she waited for me. “You have Cerberus for that.”  
She ignored my mood as I approached and kissed my frown lightly. “I thought you were bored of staying at home, my love.”  
“I am, but I am not pleased with you. It’s been days since we discussed what you…”  
“Persephone, be quiet.” She began to steer me between columns but stopped suddenly. “Oh, I forgot. I need you to put this on.”  
I looked at the strip of fabric she was holding with a raised eyebrow. “I admit that I’m very intrigued now.”  
Hades stepped behind me to tie it around my head and slip it over my eyes. There was a moment of silence and I started to think Hades had left me, but she surprised me with another kiss on the lips. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist. You look so helpless and irresistible blindfolded.”  
Before I could protest what she said, she continued. “Come this way.” She laced her fingers through mine and led me further into the Hall.  
“We haven’t tried this before. I’m surprised I hadn’t thought of it. I’d prefer if it was you wearing the blindfold, though. I happen to enjoy watching how you react when my tongue is…”  
Hades laughed. “Persephone, be quiet.”  
“What? I thought since the last time we made love here, you wanted to try something a little different.”  
Hades cursed under her breath and wrapped a hand around my mouth, and then I realized we weren’t alone.  
The judges started groaning and speaking with strained voices.  
“Lord Hades, did you really…”  
“Here, in the Hall? Don’t you have an entire palace to do that in? Is nowhere safe?”  
“Was that really necessary?”  
“I could have gone my entire afterlife without hearing what I just heard.”  
“Oh, quit being dramatic,” Hades snapped as she moved me further into the room before finally stopping at a point she saw fit. “As if I haven’t had to listen to the stories about all of your sexual exploits over the years!”  
“Oops,” I murmured under her hand.  
Hades sighed heavily and removed her hand. “Persephone apparently doesn’t know the definition of quiet.”  
“Hey! How was I supposed to know?”  
She ignored me. “Are you all ready?”  
“Unfortunately.”  
“What are you going to show me? I really hope it’s my father’s head on a pike.”  
“As much as I would like to be able to give that gift to you, I’m afraid that’s out of the realm of possibility.” Hades took off my blindfold gently and my eyes fluttered open to see that I was standing in front of the thrones.  
I counted the usual three for the judges, but as my eyes raised, I gasped. Next to Hades’ throne was a suspiciously throne-shaped figure hidden underneath a veil.  
The judges, all standing a level below the thrones, pulled the sheet away to reveal a throne identical to Hades’ in every way.  
I felt her arms circle around my waist and her chin rest on my shoulder. “Do you like it, my love? At first, I thought to add embellishments, but I wanted it to be the same, as we are. You can change it if you wish, of course.”  
“Hades… It’s perfect.”  
She unwound herself from me but offered me her hand again, smiling and looking to the pair of thrones. “Shall we?”  
We walked up the steps to the dais together, hand in hand, to take our seats beside each other. I was completely dazed by the suddenness of it all but I thought I was beaming at Hades and how she was still holding my hand in the space between our thrones.  
The judges moved to face us, looking directly at me, and chorused, “We accept your opinion in the judgments to come, your grace.” They bowed deeply and when they stood, I gave them a small nod of acknowledgment.  
“Thank you,” said Hades. “You may go.”  
They nodded and vanished.  
“I don’t even know what to say.”  
Hades chuckled and leaned across the gap to bring my knuckles to her lips. “Is it a start?”  
“It’s a very good start,” I purred.  
“I thought it would be best to begin with this. You’ll see many souls and other beings this way.”  
“It’s perfect.”  
Hades let her gaze drift over me unashamedly, her eyes starting to shine with the reflection of fire. She leaned closer and kissed me forcefully, her tongue swiping across my bottom lip for permission to enter. I parted my lips for her and felt her tongue slide across mine as she cradled my neck with her hand. I felt her fingers strain with control against my skin, what I guessed was from the want to run them through my hair but couldn’t because my hair was pinned up. She withdrew too quickly, only tugging my bottom lip between her teeth.  
I frowned when she pulled away.  
“Seeing you here…” She bit her swollen bottom lip while she thought of what to say. She leaned in again, but only to whisper into my ear. “Persephone, I want to make love to you right now. I would be on my knees before you and taste you while you sat on the throne.”  
The flame that had started to kindle in me flared hotter, the braziers in the Hall reacting the same. “I’m certainly not going to stop you.”  
Hades glanced to the entrance and I followed her gaze.  
Hecate and the twins appeared between the columns and stopped short to stare at us. I cursed myself for being too distracted to sense their arrival.  
Hecate brought her hands together to cover up her large smile. “Oh, look at them! They look so happy!”  
I started to blush and it only deepened when Hades kissed my knuckles again.  
“A fitting throne, for our new queen. You look so official now.”  
“Not to mention even more ravishing,” Hypnos added. “Hades, I don’t know how you can have any restraint with Persephone around.”  
She raised her eyebrow to Hypnos but grinned when she saw my expression. “It’s a trying experience. You’re older than me. You shouldn’t have problems with self-control.”  
Something tugged internally at my power and I leaned across to Hades. “I think someone is coming but…”  
She regained her stony, regal exterior as she nodded. “Not one of us.”  
A bright flash of light lit up the Hall, causing me to squint before it receded to reveal Hermes, dressed in warm furs. His back was to us as he looked at Hecate and the twins, who had stiffened just as Hades had. “Did I stumble into whatever you people call a party? No matter, I’m on official business.”  
“If your official business is what I think it is, nephew, I don’t want to hear it.”  
“My father wants Persephone back. The earth is dying without her and the humans are dying in droves.” Hermes turned his head to look at Hecate directly.  
She narrowed her eyes. “You would do well not to touch me, Hermes. I’m not feeling very forgiving today.”  
He laughed.  
“Do you think I haven’t noticed the startling amount of fresh souls? Some psychopomp you are.” Hades sighed.  
“Speaking of which, where is my sister? Do you keep her at your palace?”  
“Half sister,” I corrected stonily.  
He turned faster than my eyes could track to stare at me. His eyes swept between us quickly. “Well, that’s certainly unexpected.”  
“You know perfectly well that the tales our father is spinning are all lies. I asked you how to get to the Underworld, you gave me an obol…. Do you honestly think Hades took me herself? After all I endured to get here, that’s practically an insult. Do you really think I am a prisoner down here?” The fire in the braziers flared as I stood, darkness seeping out of my skin to roll down the stairs like heavy smoke. “Zeus swore me to Hades on the Styx. I was born to be a queen and therefore I am.”  
Hermes stared with impossibly wide eyes at my power and then at me. “Persephone, there isn’t anything I can do. He has spoken.”  
“His words mean nothing here!” I hadn’t meant to yell, but my power amplified my voice like thunder. The Hall started to shake before I took a deep breath and sat back down in the throne. “The earth is not dying because of me, it is because he took my mother and tortures her to lure me out and it isn’t going to work.”  
“You would let your own mother suffer? You would let all the mortals starve and freeze to death?”  
A heartbeat passed. “Yes.”  
“Sister…”  
“You act as if it is my choice and my fault. It is the choice our father made and he can suffer the consequences. The Dodekatheon and the rest of the Olympians will grow thin and weak without their worship. Tell me, brother, was it hard getting here? Is your breathing a bit labored?” I sat forward in my throne to throw a wolfish grin down at him. “The mortals worship Hades now, perhaps even me. They sacrifice the last of their animals in our name. Of course, there’s nothing we can do except greet them with open arms and why shouldn’t we? Every soul that enters this place makes us all the more strong. If you all meet your demise, know that it was entirely because of Zeus.”  
“Persephone, what is wrong with you?”  
“Wrong? Absolutely nothing.” I glanced up sharply when I felt someone else arriving.  
Hades nodded her confirmation. She looked impassive but I could tell there was fire and pride in her eyes. She was proud of the way I was handling it and I was happy that she was letting me speak.  
Alecto burst between columns, hurriedly trying to straighten her peplos. “I’m so sorry I’m late! I got caught up enacting divine vengeance via pain, madness, and eventual death and didn’t want to get blood all over so I…” She stopped suddenly when she saw us and surveyed the room.  
“Well, I have no idea what I just interrupted because I was invited and I’m sure Hermes wasn’t, but…” She looked up at me, smiled, and bowed at the waist. “You look absolutely gorgeous, your grace.”  
I felt my face flush again despite my agitation. “Thank you, friend. You look well. What was it about bathing in the blood of your enemies?”  
She laughed and finished, “It’s great for the skin.”  
Hermes started eyeing her without shame, his eyes pausing at her hips and her chest.  
“You would do well to watch where your eyes wander, Hermes, unless you want them plucked out.” Alecto looked down at her nails, which were long and pointed.  
“You wouldn’t.”  
“Care to try me?” She sneered. “What are you even doing here? You clearly aren’t welcome. I doubt the Lord and Lady would mind if I followed up on that offer, and before you threaten your father’s wrath, good luck finding your way out of Erebus without your sight.”  
Hermes swallowed and looked to the ground. “He told me to bring you back or else…”  
“Or else what? You’ll be punished? You must have forgotten how close we are to Tartarus, brother. I wonder which you should be more frightened of.”  
“He will tell others to come here and…”  
Hades stood abruptly, the braziers dwindling to mere embers as her power covered the Hall. “If anyone so much as attempts to take Persephone, there will be war. The entire realm will retaliate if its queen is taken. Given how weak the rest of you are and how you grow weaker by the minute, I believe it is a war you will inevitably lose. Go and bring the news to Zeus.”  
“But he is king. You cannot disobey him.”  
“I am king here and he is nothing. He is not the all-powerful king of everything, yet he seems to think he is. He needs to remember his place, as do you. You are a guest here.”  
“Very well, Hades.” He turned to leave.  
“Oh, Hermes!”  
“Yes?”  
“Tell Zeus we’re going to be speaking to Styx. She’ll be quite… interested that he is trying to evade a sacred oath.”  
Hermes’ eyes widened but he murmured, “Yes, my lord.”  
“Don’t come back. You are banished. If you return, I’ll see to it that Persephone’s wishes are granted and space is made for you in Tartarus.”  
Hermes wanted to protest but he said nothing.  
Thanatos lurched towards Hermes and Hermes jumped backwards in fright. “Such big words you have now, little one, but you must be forgetting that when you are below, you are among beings that are as old as creation itself. When you are below, you are among beings endlessly more powerful than your pitiful peacock of a father. When you are below, you answer to its king. When you are below, you acknowledge its new queen.”  
Hermes backed away quickly as Thanatos and Hypnos leered at him.  
Alecto stepped forward. “I’ll make sure he finds his way out.”  
“You sure you can keep up? I’m pretty fast.”  
“No wonder I’ve heard you’re terrible in bed,” Alecto rolled her eyes and followed him out.  
I heard Hermes faintly ask Alecto, “Want to find out for yourself?”  
“I think I’ll castrate you first and then pluck out your eyes, so you can watch me.” Her voice faded away completely.  
Hades turned and crouched in front of me, taking my hands in hers. “I’m sorry this happened. I wanted so badly for today to be a good day.”  
I sighed heavily and kissed her forehead. “It isn’t your fault. We knew this was coming… We just didn’t know when.”  
“Should we leave?”  
Hades turned her head to address our friends. “Yes, we won’t be here much longer either.”  
I looked around Hades. “Thank you so much for coming. You have no idea what it means to have friends who support me.”  
Thanatos gave me a small smile. “Of course we’d be here for this, Persephone.”  
“And we’ll be here for your wedding, too,” Hecate winked.  
“You’re one of us and you have been from the start. We stand with our own,” Hypnos said as they gathered themselves and left.  
Hades sighed and pressed her forehead to mine. “You were magnificent today.”  
“I refuse to be treated as if I am to blame.” I paused. “Mortals die all the time, as you well know, so oh well. I’m sure there are parts of their world that have withstood the winter so they aren’t all going to die. I wonder… How strange would it be if the earth was emptied, and subsequently Mount Olympus? It would only be us, the dead, and the other chthonic deities. We would have so much space.”  
Hades’ lips thinned. “Interesting proposition, but I am bound here for all time, regardless if all the mortals and deities died off.”  
“I forgot. I’m so sorry, Hades.”  
She gave me a small smile as she stroked my cheek with her thumb. “It’s nothing you have to worry about, my love.”  
“Regarding the situation with my mother… I’m not terribly fond of her to begin with and the fact that even after all this time, she couldn’t learn how to defend herself or find a safe refuge, well… That isn’t really my problem, especially if it comes down to her, even her and countless mortal lives, or me, the choice is always going to be me.”  
Hades glanced up to the heavens with a smile. “Oh, Persephone.”  
I pulled away slightly, guarded. “What?”  
“I admire your ruthlessness and all the rest of your hard, sharp edges.” Hades leaned forward and kissed me passionately.  
I pulled her onto my lap as my tongue slipped inside her mouth. Her fingers curled on the back of my neck and her thighs parted so her knees could rest on either side of mine.  
She pulled away from the kiss, her eyes glowing. “Persephone, there’s something I wanted to ask you.”  
It was hard to think about anything except her pulse racing as I placed my lips against her neck, but I managed to ask, “Hmmm?”  
“When we marry, I don’t want to just have a ceremony. I want to perform the hieros gamos with you. Have you heard of it?”  
I pulled away from her and blinked. “No.”  
“It means sacred marriage. It’s a ritual that involves lovemaking and the marriage of twin souls, souls that are equal in every way.”  
“We’ve already done a lot of lovemaking, in case you’ve forgotten.”  
“We have indeed.” Hades paused to kiss me. “But the hieros gamos is so much more complicated than that. It is beyond marriage and beyond sex. It is a complete union of body, mind, and soul.”  
“Why have I never heard of it?”  
“It’s incredibly rare. The mortals, the Olympians, they know nothing. Their marriages are mere ceremonies. Lies are said as vows that are broken in a matter of days. I shouldn’t have to go on. You’ve seen it.” Hades sighed and looked into my eyes fully. “So, when I say I want to marry you, Persephone, that is what I mean. I want our souls to become one.”  
“I don’t know what to say.”  
“The choice is yours, but I hope you know that very few beings have ever been able to perform the hieros gamos and I think… I think we could. I think we may have started it when we made love in Elysium.”  
“Why?”  
“Why?” Hades repeated softly. She put her hand on my chest, above my heart, and directed me to do the same. “Persephone, my soul can feel that we are equals. It is why we love and fight as fiercely as we do. Can you not feel the pull between us?”  
“Well, I can, but it gets distracting, so I usually try to ignore it,” I said flippantly, a teasing grin spread across my face.  
Hades captured my chin with her hand and kissed me again. “Will you at least consider it? For me?”  
“I’ll think about it,” I said seriously, but my heart was already beaming at the idea of it, or even just the fact that Hades thought of us as twin souls, alike and equal in some profound and nearly unattainable way. “So, about what you said earlier…” I trailed off and glanced down between us.  
Hades raised her eyebrows. “As much as I would love to, it’s going to have to wait until another day. I wasn’t lying when I told Hermes we’d be seeing Styx about this matter.” She removed herself from my lap and stood, offering me a hand. “Ready to see more of the Underworld, my queen?”  
I took her hand and stood gracefully, pausing to admire the two thrones once again. “Of course.”  
* * *  
The startling sense of isolation, so deep I could feel it in my bones, was the first thing I noticed when Hades and I traveled to meet Styx. The air was noticeably colder, my bare skin prickling beside Hades. I had already noticed that the Underworld, in general, was silent, but the silence here felt ominous, like the pause between breaths while creatures lurking in the shadows prepared to pounce.  
“It’s quiet here,” I murmured.  
“Hmm?” Hades stirred and looked at me, her eyes refocusing. “Oh, I imagine it must be for you.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“We’re on the edge of the Underworld. Things are louder for me here.”  
I looked around us cautiously. I remembered how completely overwhelming the voices were when the Moirai revealed it to me and I had no idea how Hades was able to deal with it constantly, how she hadn’t completely lost her sanity eons before. I kissed her temple.  
“You can feel them, can’t you?”  
“I think so.”  
“You’re getting more perceptive, then. You’ll notice it more the longer you stay here and you become more accustomed to your power.”  
“I would say I have grown accustomed to it.”  
“You’re able to wield it masterfully and I’m not arguing otherwise, but that doesn’t change the fact you’ve only been here for a few months, Persephone.”  
I frowned. I didn’t want to agree with her but I knew she was right. “So, what are the things I’m sensing?”  
“Truthfully, I don’t know.” She glanced at me and saw my expression. “What? I don’t know all of the creatures in the entire realm, Persephone. This isn’t Olympus and it certainly isn’t the mortal world. The things here are very old and most of them like to stay in the shadows and keep to themselves. If they remain there and don’t cause any trouble, I don’t feel the need to tell them to do otherwise. They just like to observe.”  
“Well, what do you think they are?”  
“They could be ancient, lost souls cursed to wander the Underworld and never find a true afterlife or maybe they are lesser creatures, born from rock and shadow, that are more beast than being.” Hades wrapped her arm around mine and began leading me to our destination. “Whatever they really are, they’re at least mostly sentient.”  
“How do you know?”  
“I hear them.” She tapped her head with her free hand. “They like you very much, Persephone.”  
“Other than those things, do you know who is speaking?”  
“The souls in the Fields of Asphodel, Elysium, and what is imprisoned in Tartarus, as well as the rest of the creatures that wander around.”  
“You hear all of that? All the time?”  
“Some days are quieter than others and I’ve learned to live with it, but yes,” Hades murmured as we reached the top of a hill that overlooked the river Styx.  
As we descended, I found the courage to whisper, “Do you hear the Titans?”  
She nodded. “They don’t speak to me much anymore, but when I first was bound, they spoke constantly. The Titanomachy had ended, the realms were divided, and the loss was still fresh in their minds, so they plotted and schemed all kinds of ways to escape, what to do if they did, and who they would enact the worst torture imaginable on… Of course, they couldn’t escape because they’re imprisoned with special chains and constantly guarded by the Hekatonkheires, but I still had to listen to all of it. They didn’t realize I could hear them until… later. After that, they made it their goal to drive me into insanity.”  
“What happened?”  
“They would have succeeded if the other chthonic deities hadn’t helped me. They distracted me and taught me how to drown out most of it. I wasn’t sleeping, the voices too loud and distracting to even let me rest for minutes, so Hypnos gave me sleeping potions and watched over me while I slept, making sure the voices couldn’t needle their way into my dreams. This was before he had his children. Hecate taught me how to guard my mind and soul while Thanatos sparred with me every day so I could release all my pent up energy. They all helped me. Over the centuries, the millennia, the Titans gave up their efforts… for the most part.”  
We stopped at the riverbank and we peered into the swirling black water.  
“Every few decades, when I get comfortable enough to let my guard slip… I hear my father calling me in my dreams.”  
I rested my head against her shoulder for a brief moment. “I’m sorry, Hades.”  
“Be careful not to touch the water, this river… Well, you never know what it will do.” Hades looked to the river and called, “Styx, I need to speak with you!”  
Nothing happened for several moments, but then the water started to stir and bubble. The goddess sprung from the river onto its bank, her long hair plastered to her wet skin, water dripping from the drenched fabric of her chiton onto the lifeless dirt.  
Styx began to wring her hair out with her hands. “Hades, it’s been so long since you came calling to my doorstep.”  
“It’s rare that I need your services and I don’t like to bother you, of course.”  
“Of course,” Styx repeated, watching us with steady dark blue eyes. “What is it you want this time?”  
“Well, first, I’d like you to meet my…” Hades glanced at me and finished with, “Persephone. This is Persephone.”  
Styx stilled and looked closer at me. “This is Persephone? Has it really been that long already?”  
“Yes, it has been that long,” I muttered with displeasure. I still wasn’t happy about my entire life being laid out by destiny.  
Styx looked amused. “Is she a feisty one?”  
Hades nodded while glancing at me apprehensively. I felt my eyes start to glow from my irritation.  
“I thought she would be.” Styx nodded, grinning to herself.  
“You could have at least warned me.”  
“Don’t talk about me as if I’m not here.”  
“More importantly… Why wasn’t I invited to your wedding? I will not be pleased if you say you forgot about me. I’m the damn river Zeus swore the oath by.”  
“That’s actually the reason I came here today.”  
Styx looked between us with narrowed eyes. “I’m not annulling the marriage. That isn’t how it works.”  
“We aren’t married yet,” I clarified.  
“Why not?”  
“Persephone, please don’t start,” Hades pleaded.  
I made a point of ignoring her request. “Because I’m not going to marry Hades until Hades and the entire realm starts seeing me and treating me as an equal.”  
Styx raised her eyebrows. “I like her, Hades, but I hope you didn’t come to me for counseling.”  
“No, we came here today because Zeus is trying to prevent our marriage from happening.”  
Styx went rigid, her eyes flashing. “What?”  
“He covets Persephone beyond all reason. He doesn’t care that he swore an oath. Persephone has been here for months and his antics have only increased. When he couldn’t find her in the mortal world, he stole Demeter to lure her out. Today, Hermes arrived saying he was ordered by Zeus to take Persephone back to Olympus.”  
“Well, what did you do?”  
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Obviously, I’m still here.”  
“I said if anyone even attempts to take Persephone, it would be an act of war, but I don’t know what else to do. An oath sworn upon your river should never be broken, and yet…”  
“I didn’t fight in the Titanomachy just so I could be given this supposedly great honor just to have it sullied by the same man who gave it to me!” Styx hissed. “I should go up there and drag him down here myself. Let me preoccupy him while he’s chained in Tartarus and then we’ll see how long it takes to break him. I should have known he’d turn out exactly like his father.”  
“I’d have to advise against that. Truth be told, I’d rather not start a war at all, but he has descended into madness and I refuse to let Persephone fall victim to it more than she already has. I’m not here to beg for your assistance in the coming days because I am not my brother. It isn’t your fight and should you choose to stay out of it, I will harbor no ill will towards you.”  
“If war does break out, know that I will stand by your side, as will my children, if they know what’s good for them. I will not have them defending that lunatic as if he’s some great king.”  
“If you speak to them… please don’t bring them here. We do not know who we can trust when it comes to the gods above and I don’t want to risk it. As Hermes said, Zeus will try to send others to accomplish his goal.”  
“Of course.”  
“Thank you for seeing me, Styx.”  
“Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention. I’ll speak to the others.”  
“Styx, I just said I didn’t want war.”  
“What? There’s no harm in being prepared should one arise. I’m surprised this strenuous peace has lasted as long as it has. I’m feeling a little restless.”  
Hades watched her closely but then withdrew. “Very well. I’ll see you soon, I’m sure.”  
Styx stepped back into the river and paused. “Persephone, you would do well to not wait until it’s too late. Weddings during wartime aren’t exactly fun, but Hades and her siblings would know all about that.”  
We watched her disappear below the opaque depths of the Styx in silence.  
“What are we going to do, Hades?” I murmured, resting my chin on her shoulder softly.  
“I don’t know, my love,” She said as she stroked my hair in contemplation.  
“I’ve never seen war, especially not what we may have to face.”  
“That is a privilege that many of the younger gods were given. That’s what we fought for. To have it thrown away for a reason such as this…” Hades trailed off and shook her head. “I do not want war for many reasons, but also because war is a game of who is to rule. Even if we were victorious, what good would come of it? I could not become king of Olympus. My siblings made sure of that after the lots were drawn.”  
“Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out. We have time. After all, we are the truly deathless ones.” I kissed her cheek. “We will remain until time ends, surrounded by our darkness and our fire and our subjects.”  
“Together?”  
“Together,” I agreed. “Perhaps I should ask you an easier question now.”  
“Yes?”  
“What are we going to do for the rest of the day? Go home?”  
“I’m afraid I still have work to do, however…” Hades trailed off as she began to smile. “Your throne isn’t just for show. Help us with the judgment of souls.”  
“Really?”  
“I have to warn you, it’s dreadfully boring. I don’t understand why you would even want to.”  
“Shouldn’t I be able to determine that for myself?”  
“You should. That’s why I’m inviting you to try.”  
“Besides, I’m sure there are some things that are interesting.”  
“Rarely.”  
I pulled away from Hades and took myself to the Hall, but I felt her arrive right behind me. The judges were already inside, speaking softly among themselves, but turned their heads to face us.  
Minos leaned back in his throne, positioning his ankle over his knee. “Ah, you’re back!”  
Rhadamanthus glanced at Minos with displeasure, probably disliking his too casual stance. “We took the liberty of returning once you left.”  
“What happened? We thought you planned on being here for most of the day.”  
“For whatever nefarious reasons you had planned,” Aeacus glanced away. “I will not have my throne sullied!”  
“Don’t worry, Aeacus,” I laughed. “If anything is going to be sullied, it will be the floor or our thrones. Well, the floor already is.”  
Hades elbowed me as the judges’ eyes slightly bulged out of their heads. “Persephone, was that really necessary?”  
I only chuckled as I breezed past the judges to climb the stairs and take my seat.  
Hades remained on the main level of the Hall to continue speaking to them. “We had the pleasure of a visit from Hermes and afterwards we visited Styx.”  
The judges looked at each other before speaking. “We take it the visit did not bode well?”  
“It certainly didn’t. We may have war on our hands, old friends.”  
“Over what?”  
Hades let her eyes travel up to where I was perched.  
“Oh.”  
“It was more of a threat to dissuade Zeus than us readying our weapons, but should his foolishness cause it… Well, there will be a reckoning. A war against the realm of the dead is an impossible war to win, but it will not be without its casualties on our side of it.”  
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” I said softly.  
“Let’s hope the Olympians don’t try to involve the mortals. There is already enough death as it is.”  
“Shall we get on with our judgment?”  
“We shall,” Hades answered and climbed the stairs to join me. Once she was sitting, she straightened her himation and her crown. “We can begin. Summon the first one.”  
“Euthymios, come forth.”  
A shade, who looked like an elderly man, appeared on the floor below and bowed deeply.  
“What are you here for?” Hades asked. “Are you unhappy with your placement in…”  
“The Asphodel Fields,” Minos offered.  
“I wish to be placed in Elysium. My family is there.”  
“And what family is that?”  
“My son was a hero… and my wife is in your employ currently. At least, I think she still is. It is hard to tell the time in Asphodel. We are always wandering, wanting, waiting…”  
Rhadamanthus cut him off quickly. “We can confirm his son is residing in Elysium.”  
“What is your wife’s name?”  
“Myrrine.”  
Hades was quiet, contemplating the name. “Yes, I know of her. I believe she is nearing the end of her servitude.”  
“I wish to sign a contract with you, Lord Hades, so I can be with them eventually.”  
“We’ll see,” She murmured, but leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees. “Tell me your sins, Euthymios.”  
“What?”  
Hades merely sighed. “We don’t have time for this.”  
Aeacus spoke. “He was meant for the war in his youth but injured his leg to escape recruitment.”  
“So he’s a coward,” said Hades. “What else?”  
“He was unfaithful to his wife once… No, twice…”  
“There’s no excuse for that, but I was young and it was before we had our son.”  
Aeacus ignored him and continued reading. “Doesn’t seem to be much else here… Oh, he did refuse to sacrifice his livestock to appease the gods while Apollo was spreading a plague through his village. What about that?”  
“Well, I can hardly blame him for that.” Hades leaned back in her throne. “What good has he done?”  
“I never killed anyone!” Euthymios offered.  
I watched the corner of Hades’ mouth raise. “That’s certainly a start.”  
“He did push his son to fulfill his heroic destiny, as well as being fairly charitable throughout his entire life. He gave food and supplies to those in need when he had it to spare.”  
“That’s good.” Hades turned to me. “What do you think, Persephone? Should we employ him?”  
There was a noticeable silence before I spoke, everyone waiting to hear what I had to say. “I’m not fond of his adultery, but if he doesn’t have any violent tendencies, I don’t think he’d be a threat.”  
“Very well. Euthymios will be added to the list.”  
“What list?” He asked.  
“Euthymios, surely you don’t think you’re the only one who wishes for a chance at Elysium. I don’t need thousands of servants at one time. Those who are approved are added to a waiting list and as other contracts end and spots are opened, they are filled with names on the list. You will be summoned when it is your time.”  
“For now, you must wait in Asphodel,” Minos finished and the shade vanished.  
“I’m curious,” I said as I leaned to Hades. “Do your servants ever try to hide and stay in Elysium, when you take them there?”  
“When I first started doing these contracts, yes, but they cannot hide forever from me in my own realm. I would have set Cerberus on them but I didn’t want to startle the true residents of Elysium so Rhadamanthus and I did it ourselves.”  
“Ah, the good old days! Having to hunt down renegade souls in my own domain,” Rhadamanthus laughed.  
“We found them, cast them back into the Fields of Asphodel, and their contracts and any possibility at Elysium were destroyed. Now that the others know, none of them are foolish enough to try anymore.”  
“That’s fitting.”  
“Alright, time for the next soul!”  
We continued judging soul after soul for several hours. It wasn’t very exciting, as Hades had warned me, but I was interested regardless. It was intriguing to see all these souls from different parts of the world and to be able to see their entire lives spread out before us on a neat little list of kind acts and sins. I enjoyed hearing about the varied lives they led, some full of extravagance and others depraved.  
I had heard that murderers thought they were the ones who controlled their victims’ fates, but I decided quickly that it wasn’t true. We controlled their lives for the rest of eternity, their fragile fates at the mercy of our decisions. Regardless if they were killer or victim, they would arrive sooner or later, and we judged them all.  
I looked at Hades thoughtfully, studying her profile while she spoke with the judges. She was so calm and at ease, her posture straight but relaxed, even as souls who could easily be defined as evil standing below us. I doubted she even thought of the gravity of her little disputes with the judges about where the soul should be placed.  
A loose translation of her name was “all-receiver” and I saw how completely fitting it was.  
Eventually, we dismissed for the night. The judges disappeared promptly and Hades stood, stretching her arms above her head.  
“Well, what did you think of your first day, oh great and terrible queen of the Underworld?” Hades quoted what a soul had addressed me as earlier in the evening.  
I arched an eyebrow and stood. “The pleas for my mercy were the highlight of it.”  
“Is that all?”  
“Well, the throne was nice,” I chuckled as she pulled me in for a kiss. “I like how diverse they all are, truthfully. Their lives interest me, in a removed way, of course.”  
“Of course,” Hades repeated and placed another soft kiss on my lips. “I’ve wanted to ask you something.”  
“What other obscure rituals do you want me to participate in now?” I laughed and pulled away, stepping down the stairs. “What is it?”  
“How did you know about the mortals sacrificing their animals for me? I never told you about it.”  
“I’m well aware you didn’t.” My tone was light but I let a hint of displeasure creep into it.  
“My apologies.”  
I glanced back at her. “I may have overheard you speaking of receiving cattle and needing someone to look after the herd. It was a logical assumption.”  
“Overheard? You mean eavesdropping?”  
“Your secrets are mine now, Hades,” I reminded her. “Therefore, nothing I hear should be considered eavesdropping. I was only listening.” I paused to smile. “Shouldn’t I know that the mortals are sacrificing their animals in an attempt to entice you enough to give me back to the earth? It’s misguided, of course, but how does it feel to be worshiped? How does it feel to have them finally speak your name?”  
She narrowed her eyes at me but said nothing.  
I turned on my heel and began to walk out of the Hall. “Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask; did you end up choosing Menoetius?”  
Hades cursed under her breath. “It’s going to be impossible to plan anything remotely a surprise when it comes to our wedding.”  
“Good thing you don’t have a wedding to plan yet!”


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persephone receives a great gift.

The next several days were incredibly uneventful, but I didn't know what to expect after Hermes' visit and the talk of war.  
Hades' back was perpetually tense and her brows drawn together with worry. When we finally returned to bed that night, we were silent and still, our thoughts going unworded as sleep refused to take us. My jaw continued to clench and I would have to force myself to relax it, only to find myself doing it again minutes later. Some time into the night, I reached my hand across the bed to her and she took it silently.  
Sieges on the Underworld didn't begin and Olympians didn't come to abscond with me, so our initial fear eased. Hades and I stirred in the morning to get ready and then spent the most of the day at the Hall until we decided to retire for the evening or the other chthonic deities would lure me away to do other things.  
I peeled the sheet away and began to edge off the bed, but Hades' hand on my back stopped me.  
Hades shifted behind me, her soft voice muffled in the pillows. "Stay in bed."  
"I thought you were still asleep," I murmured, feeling the warmth of her hand spread into my skin. "Don't we have work to do?"  
"I admire your work ethic, but I think the judges can handle themselves for the day. Get back here." Her hand moved to my hip before wrapping around my waist, tugging softly.  
I caved in to her enticing offer and slid back between the sheets with a sigh. Hades pulled me against her form, her breath ruffling my hair as she pressed her knees behind mine.  
“Your impatience has proven useful.”  
“I didn’t think I’d ever receive a compliment on my impatience.”  
“You direct the judges very well and things move more swiftly. We’ve gotten through more judgments than we usually do.”  
“Well, my impatience isn’t just towards the judges.” I had meant to speak softly, but my voice gained a hard edge.  
Hades sighed heavily, making strands of hair flutter into my face. “I’m well aware of that, Persephone. It’s why we’re taking the day off.”  
I stilled after a shiver of excitement coursed through me. “We’re going to Tartarus?”  
“No.”  
“You’re testing my patience even further, Hades.”  
“It takes time to properly plan and execute these things.”  
I pulled away from her abruptly and stood, taking the sheet with me. “Hades, you can’t plan every second of our lives! You can’t protect me from everything.”  
“That may be true, but when I can protect you, why shouldn’t I? I’m certainly not taking you into Tartarus before you’re fully prepared. Tartarus isn’t like the Underworld or anywhere else. It’s dangerous and unknown, even to me. It’s constantly changing, undesirable creatures flock to it…”  
“You haven’t even told me how to prepare. It’s like you don’t want to take me there at all.” I busied myself with pouring myself a glass of wine and started a fire in the fireplace with only a glance.  
“I don’t want to! Why would you think I would ever want to take you to a place of void that contains only torture? Why would I want to take you to a place where the screaming may drive you mad? Why would I want to take you to the place my father, the very one who ate me and my siblings, is kept?”  
I took a drink to give me time to think of a reply. My voice was calm and steady when I spoke. “It isn’t about what you want anymore, Hades. You want to handle me as if I am made of glass, or could bruise as easy as a flower petal, yet I am cut from diamond.”  
She was silent for several moments before she broke it with a sigh. “I know. That’s why we start preparations today.”  
I turned to look at her and fought to keep my gaze on her face. “And what exactly does that entail?”  
Hades reclined against the pillows, completely unconcerned with her nakedness. “Regardless of what you may think, I don’t merely sit for days at a time just to vex you. Building your throne took time, as did this.”  
“What was built this time? A monument to my eternal beauty, standing before the gate of the Underworld, so that all who journey here must bask in its presence?”  
Hades turned contemplative. “I should add that to the list.”  
I fought not to smile and failed. “Hades, be serious.”  
“I took the liberty of having proper armor made for you.”  
“Where is it?”  
Hades rolled onto her stomach, turning her head away from me. “Persephone, relax. We’ll take care of it later.”  
“Why not now?”  
“Because it is my day off and I am going back to sleep,” Hades muttered into the pillows. “Feel free to join me, but if not, give me back the sheet.”  
I unwound the sheet and tossed it over her pale form wordlessly.  
She pulled it over the rest of her and turned her head to glance at me appreciatively. “I take it you aren’t joining me?”  
Refilling my glass, I paused to watch the flames in the fireplace, but my gaze raised to the mirror above the mantle. My eyes were no longer mostly green, the dark brown slowly consuming it from the pupil out, and the roots of my hair were two shades darker and less red than the rest of it.  
The Underworld really was affecting my appearance.  
“I was blonde as a child. Did you know that?”  
“No. That’s hard to imagine.”  
“My hair got darker as I got older. I know that happens with some children and never thought much of it, but…”  
“Perhaps you were already preparing for the Underworld. That might explain how you were so quick to receive your powers.”  
“Perhaps,” I repeated, taking a sip of wine.  
“I don’t think I ever told you, but it’s amazing how you were able to keep your powers hidden from us for so long. Misguided, naturally, but still a wonder.”  
“I never kept the fire manipulation from you. You had to have known it was because of that.”  
“I did, but I didn’t think it would…” Hades trailed off. “When I bound myself here, I was given all of it at once. It was overwhelming, impossible to control. How did you do it?”  
“My iron will.”  
“Your iron will?” She sounded amused.  
“Restraint is second nature to me,” I began, setting my goblet on a table while I went to get dressed. “I have always had to control every part of myself. I had to control every action, every word, every thought, every desire, every minuscule facial expression, and even my body language. How else do you think I survived Olympus? Why would I not be able to bend power that is my birthright to my will?”  
“Impressive,” she quipped.  
“Why did you think it was so hard for me to let go of that restraint?” I finished clipping the fibulae to hold my peplos in place and took my goblet to sit on one of the lounges across the room. “Why did you think I drink up your presence like a man dying of thirst in a desert, after he has been given water after days? People like that no longer care about restraint, it no longer exists to them. I will no longer be restrained.”  
Her eyes glinted from within the sheets. “You should join me in bed.”  
“And have you seduce and distract me? I think not.” I began to page through some of my manuscripts, trying to find the one I had left off reading the night before.  
Hades chuckled. “Suit yourself.”  
The next few hours were torturous. It was near impossible to focus on reading for anything longer than a sentence or two. Every time Hades shifted or murmured something in bed, my eyes would glance up sharply, hoping she was stirring from sleep.  
Daeira peered into the room at one point and I shooed her away quite loudly in hopes of it rousing Hades, but that failed.  
After going through several vague manuscripts about Tartarus, I sighed heavily and stood to stretch my legs. I cast a sharp, annoyed glance at the bed. “You sleep like the dead, woman.”  
“The dead, hmm?” Hades popped her head out from under the sheets.  
I jumped, my heart skipping from the scare. “You’re awake?”  
She smiled slowly. “Yes.”  
My eyes narrowed when I noticed she looked surprisingly alert for someone who had been asleep. “For how long?”  
“About an hour or so. It’s hard to tell under here.”  
The goblet shattered in my hand, glass sinking into my palm as wine mixed with ichor ran down my arm.  
* * *  
“Persephone, must you be so difficult?”  
“As a matter of fact, yes, I do. I cannot believe you pretended to be asleep for hours just to vex me!”  
“And now you know what it’s truly like to experience me vexing you. Puts things into perspective, yes?” Hades was reclining in one of my lounges and sipped her wine with a bemused expression. “I did enjoy the extra sleep.”  
I leaned towards her and the servant tugged at me. “Quit moving, your grace.”  
“Sorry,” I murmured and stood as still as possible, my eyes throwing daggers at Hades, since I couldn’t myself.  
A servant was helping me into my armor, which was surprisingly more complicated to get on than I had thought. Athena always made it look so easy, but my armor covered more and had a lot more buckles.  
I looked into the mirror, admiring the dark gleam of the metal breastplate. The armor had few embellishments, only faint designs carved into the edges of where the different metal plates joined that looked suspiciously like narcissus flowers and flames.  
“Do you like it, my love? I think it looks wonderful on you.”  
“I do like it.” I turned slightly to appreciate my reflection. “Is this just a fitting? Who got my measurements?”  
“Persephone, if you don’t think I know your body well enough to know your measurements… Well, I suppose more could be done to fix that.”  
The servant fumbled with the last of my buckles and started staring extremely hard at her fingers while she tried not to react to Hades’ words.  
I raised an eyebrow and Hades shrugged. “So, if we weren’t waiting for the fitting, what were we waiting for?”  
“The guest of honor, of course!” Hecate appeared in the doorway, her silver himation billowing around her. “You look lovely, dear.”  
I watched as the servant finished and backed away without a word. “How have you been?”  
Hecate breezed into the room. “Busy. I’m glad I was able to make the time to do this.”  
“And what exactly are you doing?”  
Her gaze cut to Hades. “Did you explain nothing to her?”  
Hades took an unconcerned sip of wine. “I thought you’d like to.”  
“Are you going to give her the final piece or do I have to do everything?”  
Hades set her glass down and stood gracefully. When she snapped her fingers, a long, wrapped bundle appeared on the table next to me. “Go ahead. I’m sure you’ll like it.”  
Hecate picked it up and unwrapped the cloth, revealing a scabbard with the same embellishments as my armor. She drew a sword out of the scabbard, the metal of the blade and the jeweled hilt flashing in the firelight.  
I was struck with the oddity of seeing Hecate wielding a weapon. I suppose she was well-versed in combat, since she was born long before the Titanomachy, but I never truly thought about it.  
She inspected the sword closely while I watched her, testing the weight and the edge of the blade, and lowered it when she appeared pleased. “The craftsmanship is amazing. Did you get Hephaestus to make these?”  
“I wanted the best. After all the gems and precious metals I give him every year, he owes me a thousandfold.”  
“Indeed,” Hecate murmured and began to approach me. “Persephone, would you hold out your hand? I should warn you, this may sting a little.”  
“What are you doing?” I asked while I did as I was told.  
“I’m binding the armor and sword to you, so you can summon it whenever you need it.” She held my hand gently and turned my palm up. “What’s this?”  
My palm was still mending itself from the glass I had broken in my hand earlier. All that was left were a few small, pink scars that would disappear entirely soon.  
“That?” Hades said. “That was Persephone’s wrath.”  
“Be glad it wasn’t directed at you,” I hissed.  
"Just because you missed me with those shards doesn't mean it wasn't directed at me. We'll have to get new sheets because of it." Despite her words, Hades didn’t seem very concerned, only slightly amused.  
"If you didn't want the sheets ruined, you shouldn't have moved."  
Hecate raised an eyebrow and said nothing, dragging the blade’s edge across my palm and catching the ichor that fell in her free hand. I gritted my teeth from the sting as she placed that hand against my chest plate and began to chant under her breath. Her hands started to glow and my armor grew hot around my skin. When her words trailed off and the glow dissipated, all at once I felt the sword and armor become an extension of myself, like my power.  
“Did it work?” Hades asked, eyes sparking with interest.  
“I’m the one who did the spell. Of course it worked.” Hecate sounded partially offended but handed me the sword.  
“Try it out, Persephone.”  
“What do you mean?” I asked, testing the sword myself. The weight and the feel of it in my hand seemed perfect. “Want me to give you a good beating?”  
“We’ll get to that later,” Hades chuckled. “Now your armor and sword are linked to you, like your power. You’ll be able to will them away and back with only a thought.”  
“It’s a nice gift, but I don’t see the point when I can conjure armor made of my power.”  
“This armor stays, even when your power has been depleted. Hades should have explained this to you beforehand.”  
Hades made a point of not looking at Hecate. “Just humor us.”  
My peplos rippled around me as the armor receded, melting into my skin without a trace. The sword disappeared from my hand, as did the scabbard on the table.  
“Very good. Now summon it forward.”  
I watched in the mirror as my peplos shortened to my knees and lengthened into a cape behind me. My armor emerged from me like a second skin, the sword in its scabbard on my hip. I brandished the sword, pointing it to Hades. “I have to admit… This is awesome.”  
“It suits you,” Hades said. “Does everything fit right?”  
“Yes.”  
Hecate was looking at me and smile in a distant, faint way that got my attention.  
“Hecate?”  
“I’ve had to do this for all of them. It’s almost like a rite of passage now. You’re one of us, bound armor and all.” She paused for a moment. “I’m sure the twins would love to see it. They make fairly good sparring partners as well… when they can be persuaded to get off their lazy asses.”  
“Thank you,” I said softly as I willed my armor away to hug her.  
“I’m afraid I have to be going now,” She said as she returned my hug. “Please be careful in Tartarus, for yourself and for Hades.”  
“I will.”  
“Farewell, Hecate!” Hades called as she walked out of the room, but she turned to me. “Would you like to break it in?”  
I grinned. “Do you even have to ask?”  
Hades pointed to the door with her chin. “You know where it is. Lead the way!”  
The walk to the training room deep in the palace was filled with anticipation. It had been awhile since we last sparred and I was anxious to see how well I could move in the armor because I had only ever practiced without it. I only stopped to show Daeira the armor, which she fawned over until I pulled away.  
When I entered the room, I turned to see Hades summoning her armor. Black metal emerged from her skin, her clothing shifting and altering to accommodate it.  
Then, she disappeared.  
No summoning of power, no words, just… gone. I couldn’t sense her in the room or anywhere else.  
After a moment, I called out her name, unsure if it was some kind of test.  
Hades reappeared in the same spot and chuckled as she removed her helmet, shaking out her long, dark tresses. “Sorry about that, Persephone. I admit I forgot about the helm.”  
“That’s the Helm of Darkness?” I nodded to where she set it on a table.  
“Yes.”  
“May I?” I asked as I took a step closer.  
Hades watched me carefully to weigh her options before nodding.  
The helm was more simple than I expected, completely unassuming but sound in its structure. When I picked it up, I could tell that the craftsmanship was extraordinary, regardless of its plainness. “It’s quite plain, but I guess that makes sense considering its function.”  
“Indeed.”  
“May I try it on?”  
“As long as you don’t go off and start playing tricks on Markos.”  
I raised my eyebrow. “That’s an amazing idea.”  
Hades couldn’t hide the look of panic when I slipped the helm on. I didn’t feel any different and I could see my extremities when I looked down, but Hades’ eyes started glancing around the room like she was trying to guess where I was.  
I moved closer slowly, cautious to not make any noise, and leaned forward to kiss her on the lips. She jumped backwards and smacked into the wall behind her as I took off the helmet.  
“I would like one of these.”  
“I suppose it would depend on how amenable the Cyclopes are feeling, which hasn’t been so good lately.”  
“Is there a reason for it? What happened?”  
“Everything that has been happening lately has caused problems for the gods. They’re fighting more than usual. Perhaps it’s because of desperation? That their demise is in the future? I’m not sure.”  
“What happened?” I repeated slowly.  
“We were very, very close to having a new guest in Tartarus.”  
The way she emphasized the word made me suspicious. “Is it someone that I am familiar with?”  
“Apollo.”  
I was setting the helm onto the table and froze. “What? Why would he be sentenced to Tartarus? Who has the authority to sentence a god to… Oh, Zeus.”  
“Indeed.”  
“Why wasn’t it carried out? I’m assuming it wasn’t, unless there’s something else you’re forgetting to tell me.”  
“No. Leto intervened. I believe she was able to persuade Zeus to only sentence your brother to hard, mundane labor.”  
“What did he do to anger Zeus so much? My siblings have done many, many terrible things and were hardly ever punished at all for them, and certainly not to that extent.”  
“He killed a few of the lesser Cyclopes.”  
“What? Why would he do that?”  
“It was retaliation for Asclepius’ death.” Hades paused when I gasped. “You know he was gifted in medicine? He honed his skill so much so that he was able to raise the dead. What he did went against the natural order of things, which was an offense against Themis and myself, since he stole one of my subjects.”  
“But why would the Cyclopes be the ones to kill him?”  
“They didn’t. Zeus killed Asclepius with one of his thunderbolts, and since Apollo couldn’t avenge his son by killing Zeus, he killed some of the beings who made the weapon that did.”  
I waited to reply for a moment. Death did not touch the people I knew.  
“Well, it’s a shame Apollo didn’t even try to kill our father. That would have solved our problem for us.”  
The corner of Hades’ mouth raised. “Perhaps.”  
I unsheathed my sword. “Are we going to do this or not?”  
Hades’ smile grew and she lunged at me without another word.  
We sparred for quite some time and it became obvious that I was losing, badly. I knew it was going to be a learning experience, but I didn’t expect the difference to be so jarring. I was not accustomed to the limited range of movement, how the weight of the armor slowed and exhausted me and how my frustration with it all kept forcing me to make novice mistakes.  
Hades was trying to be helpful by commenting on my technique, pointing out what I was doing wrong and how I could improve. It was evident that she was used to wearing armor. It didn’t slow or hinder her in any way.  
When we took a break for water, I was grateful. My chest heaved from exertion and I could feel the sweat running down my back.  
“I know you may feel discouraged, but this is new to you. It will take time and practice.”  
“Well, well, well… Look what we have here. This doesn’t look like training to me! There isn’t any time for breaks!”  
Thanatos elbowed his brother as he walked into the room behind him. “It looks like it fits well. Do you like it?”  
Hypnos came closer to inspect it, crouching down to get a better look. “Great quality,” he murmured as he looked up at me. “I see there are details? Flames and a… flower?”  
“The flower is called narcissus,” I answered and glanced at Hades quickly, trying not to blush. It was the gift I had given her in Olympus, as well as growing countless ones in Elysium when we first made love.  
Thanatos piped up. “Hey, wasn’t that one lover of Apollo called…”  
“No,” Hades answered before he continued.  
Thanatos chuckled. "I get all the mortals who turn into flowers confused!"  
“So, are we going to spar or what?”  
“I’m excited to see what you can do.  
I sighed heavily. “But I’m tired and I can’t possibly fight both of you.”  
“They can take turns. Besides, I’ll be more than able to keep them preoccupied.”  
Hypnos raised his eyebrows. “Is that overconfidence I hear?”  
Hades grinned. “No, it’s foresight.”  
The twins looked at each other and summoned their armor, but I stilled when I saw great shapes materialize behind them.  
“Why does your armor have wings?”  
The twins paused in the middle of drawing their swords, the wings stretching and folding close against their backs.  
“They aren’t a part of our armor.”  
“We have wings.”  
“What? Why?” I circled around the twins. “Can I see them?”  
Thanatos shrugged. “Why does Poseidon occasionally have children that are horses? We don’t know.”  
Hypnos shook his wings out, stretching them to their full wingspan, which had to be at least two times his height. “We keep them hidden because they tend to get in the way.”  
I touched the raven feathers gently. “I had no idea.”  
“Our sisters and sons have wings, too.”  
“Eros does.”  
“I think Iris does as well. I’m not sure who else.”  
“Like he said, the wings get in the way because of their size, so most of us just alter our appearance to make them disappear until they’re needed.”  
Thanatos peered over Hypnos’ wings to look at me. “Are you done with your break or what?”  
“Go easy on her. We haven’t exactly been standing around this entire time.” Hades fingered the edge of her blade idly. “I don’t think either of you came out of Nyx’s womb fully trained in armor, either.”  
Hypnos scoffed, turning so suddenly I had to duck to avoid getting knocked over by his wings. “You weren’t around to know otherwise.”  
Trying to cover my near-stumble smoothly, I said, “I’m sure we could ask Nyx and she would be more than happy to tell us stories of your youth.”  
Hypnos held his hand to his breastplate and gasped at me. “The betrayal! You wouldn’t dare!”  
Hades laughed. “I think that’s a lovely idea.”  
“Brother,” Thanatos started, “I think they’re teaming up on us.”  
“I think you’re right.”  
Hades caught my eye to warn me, but I was forced to drop my glass in order to have the time to draw my sword before Hypnos lunged at me.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hades and Persephone visit Tartarus.

“We have an interesting case today, Hades,” Rhadamanthus said as Hades and I entered the Hall of Judgment. His jeweled hand curled around the scroll in his lap when he looked to the other judges, their unusually clear excitement a bit unnerving to me.  
Hades glanced towards me with a vaguely worried expression, indicating she knew what he meant. “Oh? Is this one supposed to head to Elysium or Tartarus?”  
“Tartarus.”  
“What is their name?”  
“You’ll see when we summon him. We bumped him to the front of the line because it’s been so long.”  
Hades ascended the stairs to the thrones but I stayed in front of the judges “It seems as though you’re making sport of it, as if it’s a special occasion.”  
The judges laughed and Minos said, “We are!”  
“Sending souls to Elysium is all well and good, but one heroic act is just the same as another.”  
“Killing people during wartime in the name of a favored god, saving the lives of others, vanquishing great evil…” Aeacus trailed off as he rolled his eyes. “It’s boring.”  
“The acts required to make a human soul viable for Tartarus are uniquely vile and horrendous. They tend to stand out, which makes them incredibly interesting. We have been doing this for a very long time, Lady Persephone, and you have yet to see anyone like this.” Rhadamanthus kept his tone formal but light, his way of trying to make it seem like he wasn’t condescending me.  
“Butchering your own son, cutting him up, and serving him to the gods as food, for example,” Minos quipped.  
“That was Tantalus, if I remember correctly,” said Hades lightly as she sat on her throne.  
“Well,” I said, taking a step past the judges. “Who am I to delay the fun?”  
Hades waited until I was settled in my throne before saying, “We can begin.”  
“Salmoneus, king of Elis and founder of Salmonia!”  
The soul appeared below us, standing tall.  
“Oh, look he named a city after himself.” I arched an eyebrow as I leaned forward and inspected him. He certainly was royalty, evident in his posture and composure, and the way he didn’t immediately prostrate himself below us and beg for mercy. Salmoneus was used to being served, like all the rest of the princes and princesses and queens and kings I had seen here, and it made our judgement all the more interesting.  
Hades, however, was all too used to the disrespect. She sat as still as a statue, back erect, as she spoke. “Kneel.”  
“I am a king. I do not kneel.”  
The judges tittered in suppressed laughter, anticipating what would happen next.  
“You are no king here, Salmoneus. You are a dead mortal like any other.”  
He crossed his arms defiantly over his chest.  
“You do realize we are the beings who decide where you spend your eternity, correct?” I grinned. “Whether you are granted eternal bliss or eternal torment? Hubris only leads down one narrow path, mortal.”  
Salmoneus made no move.  
“Kneel,” Hades repeated, but this time her voice boomed and echoed throughout the room.  
I watched as Salmoneus was pulled to his knees by an unseen and irresistible force. His face twisted in rage, his mouth opening to undoubtedly spew curses at us.  
It was my turn to throw out a command, my voice as imposing as Hades’. “Be silent.”  
His mouth snapped shut promptly.  
“Three guesses to where he’s supposed to be headed?” Minos offered.  
“I think we only need one.”  
“And he’s be given a special bookmark,” Rhadamanthus said.  
Hades raised her eyes to the ceiling and leaned back into her throne. “Who did he offend and who presumably smote him?”  
“Zeus.”  
“Now we know it can’t be that bad. Honestly, if he killed and served his children as food to my father, I’d walk him to Elysium myself.”  
“Persephone,” Hades said with a sharp look pointed at me. I shrugged and she looked below us once again. “What did he do?”  
“Persephone was quite observant with her hubris remark,” Aeacus supplied.  
“Well, it’s always hubris, isn’t it?” Hades asked. “What exactly did he do to Zeus? I imagine it can’t be that bad, since his patience is wearing extremely thin these days.”  
“According to this, he commanded his subjects to worship him as Zeus.”  
“Why would anyone want to be my father?” I said under my breath, leaning back into my throne with displeasure.  
Hades cast another warning glance at me. “Is that all?”  
“No, it gets better.”  
“He pretended to be Zeus, building a bridge of metal just so he could drive a chariot dragging pots around to sound like thunder and throwing torches into the air to mimic lightning.”  
I threw my head back and laughed. I couldn’t help it. The absurdity of the scene I was starting to imagine was hilarious. “That would have been a sight to see.” I leaned forward again. “How did any of your subjects take you seriously?”  
Salmoneus’ face contorted in rage once again, but he stayed mute because of my command.  
The judges snickered but Hades frowned. “Persephone, you really do need to work on how much you antagonize the souls.”  
“Shall we send him off, then?”  
“We need to give him a chance to apologize for his actions, if he wishes.” Hades let her eyes prod me and I sighed.  
“Very well.” I waved my hand and dismissed the command. “You have your words back. I’ll advise you to use them carefully.”  
Rhadamanthus spoke. “If you have any remorse, now would be the time to say it.”  
“I was a god!”  
Hades rolled her eyes. “Salmoneus, you were never a god.”  
“Would you like to know how we know?” I felt Hades’ eyes on me even though I was looking down at the soul. “You wouldn’t be here if you were. You lived like a mortal, and you died like a mortal, and you’re about to get sentenced like the impudent mortal you are.”  
“Well, what do you think?” Hades asked casually. “Are the three of you going to bicker about his placement or is it fairly clear where he should be placed?”  
“Yes,” Rhadamanthus answered.  
“I think it’s quite clear,” clarified Aeacus.  
“We’ve come to an agreement,” finished Minos.  
There was a knot that was tugging at my stomach. Not because I was unsure of his placement, but because of something else.  
“Hades,” I whispered softly. “Before we continue, I need to speak with you.”  
She looked at me, her eyes questioning. “Now?” I nodded so she looked down at the judges. “We need a quick recess.”  
Aeacus turned around in his chair to look up at us with a look of clear confusion and moderate annoyance. “What? Right now? Before we sentence him?”  
“Yes. Leave us. I’ll summon you back shortly,” Hades said calmly. It still amazed me how quickly she could regain composure, making it seem as if everything was normal.  
The judges and Salmoneus disappeared promptly.  
Hades held out her hand between our throne and I laced my fingers through hers. “What’s wrong, my love? Do you not agree with the sentencing? I know you rather enjoy the mortals disrespecting your father, and I don’t blame you--really, I don’t--but if we don’t punish him, other mortals will start doing the same to other gods. It could be Athena, or it could be you or me, and you wouldn’t want that, would you?”  
“How do you think they would interpret me? Throw flowers and torches from their hands? Run naked through meadows like the nymphs do?” I chuckled at the thought, and sobered. “They wouldn’t dare, especially not now. They fear us even if it’s misplaced, they respect us because of their fear, and they have begun worshiping both of us as a result. They wouldn’t risk our so-called wrath.”  
“No, they wouldn’t.” Hades smiled and raised our hands, brushing her lips across my knuckles. “But do you not agree? I’m sure we can work something out…”  
“Oh, Hades, it’s not that. I agree. He should be put in Tartarus, even if he is a bit mad.” I paused to gather my thoughts. “You know I have never sentenced anyone to Tartarus before and I don’t feel right about doing so without knowing what my decision will result in. I should know about what I will subject them to.”  
Hades’ eyebrows narrowed with displeasure. “The judges have never needed to visit Tartarus to sentence souls there.”  
“Then they clearly lack the proper perspective. They should know the full extent of their decisions. I should know the full extent of my decisions.”  
“I admit your reasoning is… justified.”  
“And we’ve been training and I’ve improved with my technique greatly since we started. I’m ready, Hades. I know I am. I can feel it in my bones that it is time. Whatever horrors and perils I’ll face there, I know I’ll have you at my side, and I know that together we could conquer the world.”  
Hades sighed heavily, pulling her hand away from me to remove her crown. She was quiet as she used her peplos to idly polish the gold, clearly thinking, weighing her decisions.  
“Please let me do this, Hades. I am strong enough to face this.”  
“I know you are, Persephone, but physical strength or mastery over your powers isn’t what is needed in Tartarus.”  
“Let me do this before it’s too late, if anything should happen to me… I want to see it. I want to know. I need to.”  
“Nothing is going to happen to you, Persephone.” Hades had paused when she replied, as still as a statue, but went back to her fidgeting.  
“You don’t know that. Isn’t that why you’re frightened?”  
Hades cast a side glance towards me, not wanting to admit I was right.  
“After you do this, we can get married,” I prodded, drawing one knee up to perch on the edge of my throne and face Hades directly.  
Hades sat back in her throne with a heavy sigh, chuckling to herself. “I cannot believe you are dangling our marriage over my head in an attempt to persuade me.”  
“It’s not an attempt. It was part of my deal. If you never take me to Tartarus, we’ll never get married, which, by the way, is absolutely fine by me. After all, I certainly didn’t swear myself to you on the Styx,” I reminded her. “I could always go without you, you know, when you’re sleeping, while you’re away… But, as you know, it’s rather the action that counts, so to speak.”  
Hades leaned over the arm of her throne to bridge the distance between us, grabbing my chin and leveling her gaze on me. Flames danced behind her eyes. “You impetuous girl.”  
“Oh? Do you think yourself better than me?” I grinned, feeling my power rise up to challenge her. “You liar, you secretive, manipulative…”  
Hades ducked her head down and captured my mouth with hers, my sentence dying in my throat as her tongue met mine. I savored it, the kisses we shared during heated moments were the sweetest of them all, searing and aching all at the same time.  
But they made me pliable. She knew it, and so did I.  
I drew her bottom lip between my teeth, and bit down. She jerked, her eyes flashing when they opened, as I tasted the ichor between our mouths. I withdrew slightly, pausing to run my thumb across her injured lip. “Don’t ever kiss me in an attempt to win an argument.”  
She arched an eyebrow as she drew her tongue across her bottom lip, forcing my eyes to track the movement intently. “Fine, we’ll go to Tartarus.”  
“Right now?”  
“Isn’t that what you wanted?”  
My heart started pounding. “Yes.”  
Hades stood. “Judges, you may return, and bring Salmoneus with you.”  
The judges appeared in their thrones with Salmoneus below them as if they hadn’t left at all.”  
“What did you decide?” Minos asked.  
“Salmoneus is sentenced to Tartarus.” Hades waved her hand and Salmoneus disappeared without so much as a sound.  
“Well, that was a bit anticlimactic. Why did we have to leave? Couldn’t you have decided with us present?” Aeacus sounded annoyed.  
“Other matters that don’t concern you.” Hades looked back to me and held out her hand. “Let’s go.”  
“You’re leaving?”  
“Yes, you’ll have to handle the rest of the souls today, perhaps longer. I’m going to Tartarus. Send word to the palace.”  
They grumbled unhappily as I took Hades’ hand and we descended the stairs, but before we had even exited the hall, I heard them summon the next soul and begin the process all over again.  
I watched Hades, who was silent and stoic, mouth drawn into a severe line.  
“I have to,” I repeated.  
She looked over at me, eyes softening only slightly. She drew me closer, arms wrapping around my waist, and kissed my forehead softly. “I know.”  
* * *  
“Summon your armor,” Hades instructed as we stood in front of the massive gate to Tartarus, at least double the size of the gate at the Underworld's entrance and generally menacing. Her words made me stir from my trance-like gaze directed at the Phlegethon, how I had been watching the river of fire flow towards the impervious stone wall and disappear under it.  
I did as I was told soundlessly, listening to how absolutely silent it was and shivering as I felt like a massive breath was drawn from the air around us, pulling and beckoning us towards the gate. My armor was a gratefully added layer.  
Hades had already summoned hers, careful not to summon her helm and disappear again, as well as two cloaks. She tossed one to me as she said, “You’ll want this.”  
I caught it and was shocked at the weight. Turning it over, I saw it was lined with furs. I raised a questioning glance to Hades as she pinned hers over her armor. “It’s rather cold, even for me.”  
I followed her actions. “Hades, I know this is a serious situation, but you don’t need to be so melancholy…” I trailed off when I noticed she wasn’t paying attention, only rubbing her temples. I approached tentatively, drawing her hands into mine and away from her head. “Are they loud today?”  
She nodded and I kissed her temple softly, feeling her relax slightly, even through our armor. “Since we’re here, let’s just get this over with and be done with it. Would you grab that torch and light it?”  
I did as she asked. “What’s this for?”  
“It’s very cold and very dark,” she answered when she took it from me.  
“But…” I held out my hand and summoned a flame in my palm. Hades started to look slightly annoyed with me. “I’m asking questions because you’ve neglected to inform me of all of this beforehand.”  
“My fault, of course.” She rolled her eyes.  
“As usual.”  
“We can’t access much of our chthonic power while we aren’t in the Underworld and Tartarus is another realm entirely. It’s close to the Underworld, yes, but separate. Not only that, Tartarus has the ability to muffle divine powers, so our chthonic power is all but gone here. It’s why Tartarus has been such a good prison for various powerful beings throughout the ages.”  
“The Hekatonkheires, the Cyclopes, the Titans…” I supplied.  
“You’ve studied.”  
“What you’ve given me.”  
Hades turned her back to me to approach the gate, raising and placing her free hand against its solid bronze surface. The metal flashed suddenly, as if a light had been shone on it, and then it opened slowly, releasing a blast of cold air. Shadow enveloped everything inside except the orange glow of the Phlegethon, now a cascading waterfall, but the darkness tried to consume even that meager source of light. Hades faced me again and held out her free hand, inviting me to approach.  
“Do we jump?”  
Hades’ face lost its somber expression and she laughed. “No, there are steps descending. I’ll lead you. Just… be careful. If you fall…”  
I took her hand and we stepped into the darkness together. Behind us, the giant gate creaked and closed, the sound echoing a cold and final note, as if we were trapped here forever.  
“It’s a pit, so the stairs descend in a circular fashion, like this.” Hades bent down and held the torch close to the steps to illuminate them for me.  
“You lead, I follow.”  
“If only you were always this compliant.”  
I squeezed her hand roughly, but followed her as she started her descent. “It’s very dark in here.”  
“It’s like the Erebus, but… different. The Erebus isn’t this cold. The Erebus feels different. You can feel it, can’t you? The absence of everything? How it draws the heat out of the Phlegethon? How it seems to leech out anything that invades it, like us? The Erebus isn’t like this at all.”  
“I never saw the Erebus. I met him, once, with Nyx and the twins, but Erebus is also supposed to be a veil between this realm and the mortal realm, no?”  
“Yes, I forget that you didn’t travel through it.”  
“How did I not travel through it?”  
“The way you used to enter the Underworld is somewhat of a shortcut, one of the few spread throughout the mortal realm, if one wanted to avoid traveling through the Erebus. For me and the rest of the chthonic deities, it’s faster to travel through Erebus, because we each have our ways, but mortals and you… do not. The cave is like a clear path through, or a hole in, the Erebus.”  
“Why have any of those at all? It would prevent living mortals from coming here.”  
“That isn’t a very common problem, Persephone. Most mortals are in no rush to visit the Underworld, I assure you. I also didn’t make the bridges myself, if that’s what you’re thinking. They’ve been there as long as I can remember and probably were formed when the different realms latched together.”  
We made small idle chatter as we continued to climb down the steps, circling the pit like carrion birds descending on a rotting corpse, the light of the Phlegethon growing dimmer and dimmer. Between our sentences, I began hearing faint noises, which I had assumed were the echoes of our footsteps. It grew louder as we continued our descent and was revealed to be screaming and wailing of the tortured. The sound set my teeth on edge, goosebumps spreading across my skin after each piercing shriek erupted and faded into a near rhythmic pattern. In between the screams, whispering began, some words in languages I didn’t even recognize and some I did.  
“Praxidike…”  
“Aristi Chthonia…”  
“Epaine…”  
The same epithets I had heard when the Moirai made me hear the voices of the Underworld.  
“She is so close, can you feel her?”  
“The Unseen One brought her to us.”  
“Aidoneus has been selfish with our queen…”  
“Finally, finally…”  
“I can taste her.”  
“Even here I can feel her greatness, her power…”  
“Despoena has come.”  
“Can she feel us?”  
“Can she hear us?”  
Hades glanced sharply at me, her features contorted in the shadows, and I nodded. Her face softened as she gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.  
I tried to tune the screaming, whispering, and wailing out. “These stairs weren’t always here, were they?”  
“What makes you think that?”  
“They aren’t stairs--they’re bones. What of?” They appeared to be serpentine rib bones, but based on the size and the number, I couldn’t say they could belong to any normal snake.  
“It was once the creature Kampe, who guarded Tartarus when it was the prison of the Cyclopes and the Hekatonkheires. We were forced to kill her in order to free them.”  
“And we are glad you did.”  
“Kampe was not good company.”  
These new voices were different from the rest, deeper and resonating louder, and could only belong to the Hekatonkheires.  
“Kottos and Gyges,” Hades confirmed.  
“A visit from Aidoneus so soon? It cannot be time.”  
“Time works differently here. Sometimes I am here for days, but when I return, I find it has only been a few hours. Other times I am here for hours, but it has been a week in the Underworld,” Hades explained to me, then turned her voice down to the pit. “I am here at the request of my… philtate.”  
The voices, which had been steadily increasing in volume as we descended, suddenly jumped up several volumes.  
“Praxidike wanted to come?”  
“She wanted to see us…”  
“We want to see her…”  
“Worship her…”  
“Love her…”  
Hades wavered, and I had to catch her to keep her from falling, which was made more difficult with the weight of her armor and mine restricting my movements.  
“Quiet,” hissed one of the Hekatonkheires.  
The voices obeyed.  
“Hades, are you alright?” I murmured as I righted and steadied her.  
“Yes, it’s just a lot to handle when they get excitable. It hasn’t happened for a very, very long time.”  
I kissed her forehead gently. “Hold onto me if you need to.”  
The pit started to widen and grow brighter, but piercing screams now shook my chest. As we descended, a burning wheel seemed to rise up from the darkness, a man bound to it. The fire of the Phlegethon poured onto the wheel as it turned, and I watched as the man’s skin charred and blackened, heard how his fat sizzled, and smelled his roasted flesh and singed hair. As he spun around the wheel, his body healed in moments, only to be burned away by the flames of the river over and over again.  
I stared in absolute horror, the smell and gore making my stomach threaten to spill its contents.  
“That,” Hades started, “is Ixion’s Wheel, and that man is Ixion.”  
“What did he do?”  
“Ixion killed the father of his wife.”  
“This punishment seems a bit extreme for one murder, even to me,” I whispered skeptically.  
“That isn’t it.” Hades started hurrying me along. “For some reason, he felt remorseful but kings in other lands denied his sin from being cleansed, so Zeus took pity on him and…”  
“For all things for my father to take pity on, a murderer?” I growled, half disbelieving my father even capable of such an emotion.  
“Zeus was different back then,” Hades said softly. “He invited Ixion to Olympus to the table of the gods, but when Ixion saw Hera, he started to lust after her. Zeus realized Ixion’s intentions for Hera and made a clone of her. Ixion… bedded it and proved Zeus to be right, so Ixion was expelled from Olympus and Zeus then killed him with a thunderbolt. The fire is supposed to symbolize his highly inappropriate lust for the queen.”  
“So, he didn’t get sent to Tartarus for murder, but for wanting to bed Hera?”  
“He would have raped her if Zeus hadn’t made the clone, Persephone. If someone did that to you… The punishment I would personally enact upon them, the torture they would be forced to endure for eons, is simply inconceivable.”  
“Oh, Hades,” I murmured wistfully. “It’s amusing that you think I wouldn’t kill them before they had the chance and, if I somehow couldn’t manage, I wouldn’t be the one to break them in this place and tear their soul apart with my bare hands. My wrath is…”  
“A force of nature,” Hades finished for me.  
I arched my eyebrow. “I suppose it’s the thought that counts, my love.”  
Hades maneuvered me off of the bone stairs and back onto solid black ground. “Walk behind me. The way is narrow and you do not want to fall off. You would be lost. This place is void.”  
“She is here…”  
“... and she is everything and more.”  
“Daughter of life…”  
“... and bride of darkness.”  
“Princess above…”  
“... and the queen below.”  
Hades kept moving forward and, spread out through the unwavering gloom of endless shadow, I saw small islands of light. The light, however, was not a beacon of hope as one would assume, but quite the opposite. Each island contained a soul, and each soul was being subjected to various types of torture, some leaning towards the mental and some more physical. Screams of agony and anguish echoed like thunder around us and I had to fight not to flinch at each one, but I still felt myself tense.  
Near us, a man appeared to be in an oasis, with a pool of clear water and even a tree full of ripe fruit. Upon closer inspection, every time he bent to drink from the pool, it disappeared, and every time he reached for a fruit, the tree would move its branches out of his reach.  
“Tantalus,” Hades said, nodding. “The one who killed and fed his son to the gods, as well as stealing ambrosia and trying to tell mortals its secrets.”  
Further away, a shrieking man was chained to a rock, limbs spread wide, as two vultures tore at his abdomen.  
Hades followed my gaze. “That’s Tityos. He was killed by Artemis and Apollo when he tried to rape Leto, by order of Hera. Prometheus was given the same punishment for his crimes.”  
Another island contained a surprising number of women and a surprising number of tubs. I watched them try to fill the tubs with water, only to have the water leak out through cracks and holes in the bottoms.  
“Those are the Danaides. They murdered their husbands on their wedding night and try to wash themselves of their sins in the tub, but it’s impossible.”  
“Why do they keep trying if it’s impossible?”  
“They don’t think it is,” said Hades. “Hope is a very dangerous thing, Persephone--a tool to be used as both a crutch and a handicap. It is a crucial piece of their torment.”  
“Where is Salmoneus?”  
“I’m not sure. We didn’t specify his punishment so Kottos and Gyges would have to point him out, since it was their choice on the matter.”  
A chorus of impossibly deep voices began speaking as one, the volume deafening. “He is very far from here. You wouldn’t be able to see him.”  
I had to clap my hands over my ears when the other Hekatonkheir spoke. “Since his insult was to Zeus, we thought it appropriate for him to be near Typhon.”  
“Salmoneus is in eternal storms, with lightning that shocks him and thunder that deafens him.”  
“Certainly appropriate,” Hades said. “Kottos, Gyges, you are free to approach, but please… speak as quietly as possible. Persephone is… new.”  
Much quieter, one of them said, “Of course, Aidoneus.”  
The ground started to tremble as sounds of slow movement began. Countless thick arms and massive heads started to emerge from the gloom to be faintly illuminated by our meager torch, their crowns towering over us on both sides. One hundred pairs of rounded, glossy black eyes blinked in unison before the heads ducked and moved closer to us.  
I had to fight to keep myself from cowering as I lowered my hands to my sides, trying to appear as least frightened as possible. The Hekatonkheires were beings from nightmares, every instinct telling me to run away blindly, out of the empty darkness, away from the endless screaming, back into the open air, back into the light, to forget everything I knew of the shadows.  
“Do not be afraid, Praxidike,” said one of the Hekatonkheir, mouths opening in unison, some with different voices.  
“We would never harm you,” said the other.  
“She is smaller than I expected,” the first commented.  
“Not everyone can be giants, Gyges,” Hades countered almost playfully, to dispel any doubts the comment may have caused me.  
“Such a pity,” Kottos said.  
“However,” Gyges started, and about fifteen hands, all larger than my entire body, passed over my head. “She is certainly the queen foretold. Such power has not been felt in one god for a very, very long time.”  
“Yes, indeed,” Kottos agreed. “Access to endless amounts of chthonic power, but… surprisingly it did not snuff out the rest. Your very nature should be in turmoil, fighting for an undivided spot, yet you are able to wield both with ease.”  
“To wield both powers of life and death… such a thing has never been possible.”  
“Queen of Tartarus, Queen of the Underworld…”  
“...Persephone Praxidike Aristi Chthonia, destroyer of light and exacter of justice, best of the Underworld.”  
Kottos and Gyges started speaking in unison, all one hundred mouths moving like puppets. “We bow to your right to rule, our queen.”  
The voices of the other creatures resumed.  
“Anassa…”  
“Wanakt-ja…”  
“Queen…”  
They repeated the words over and over as I was stunned into silence. The frigid temperature and screams of the residents of Tartarus faded away as I was washed in words of adoration and worship. Hades watched me silently, her eyes wide and searching.  
“May we approach?”  
“May we see you?”  
“We have waited so long…”  
They fell silent as they awaited my wishes.  
I summoned my voice from where it had shrunk into my core. “You may.”  
Flashes of different things appeared in the gloom around the Hekatonkheires; feathers, scales, scarred skin, teeth, beaks, wings, tails, and eyes that were impossibly wide and milky colored. The eyes reminded me of fish Poseidon had pulled up from deep in his oceans. He had explained they had developed such large and opalescent eyes to be able to see the faintest remnants of light in the darkness of the ocean. Their voices resumed, climbing and flowing over each other endlessly, rising in volume.  
“So beautiful…”  
“So strong…”  
“Fearless and brave…”  
“Our queen…”  
“She has come!”  
“She has come!”  
The voices continued to escalate, even louder than the Hekatonkheires had been in the beginning. My hands flew to my ears but when Hades started to collapse forward, I had to catch her. Hades thrashed against me, frantic eyes wide from clear, physical pain. I pulled her against my cuirass and she curled into my cloak.  
“Quiet!” I yelled. “Can’t you see you’re hurting her?”  
My voice was drowned out by the ever-increasing volume of their screaming.  
“Silence!” I screamed, putting all the force I could muster behind the word, my throat straining. The word rolled off my tongue like thunder, just like a command in the Underworld. “If I am your prophesied queen, hear me and obey me. Your voices cause Hades pain. She is my consort. By hurting her, you are hurting me. You will hold your tongues or I will tear them out myself.”  
“Yes, Epaine…”  
The epithet that meant fearful. They feared me.  
“We shall not speak until you allow us.”  
Their voices faded away completely, the sounds of the residents screaming like whispers in comparison. Hades started to relax in my arms but sweat rolled down her face and her hair clung to her damp skin. I swept it away from her face and leaned forward to retrieve the torch before it went out.  
Before any of us had the chance to say anything after the ordeal, a new echo rose from the depths of Tartarus.  
Not screaming.  
Laughter.  
Deep and rolling, the tone sending goosebumps racing across my skin. It was a sound so unfamiliar to the Hekatonkheires that they were silent, heads turning towards the source with confusion.  
“Sheeeeeeeeee’ssssss heeeeeeeerrreeee…”  
Hades struggled to stand as her expression darkened, brows taunt and eyes full of cold fire. She spat the following name like venom, as if it was a curse.  
“Cronus.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The visit to Tartarus concludes and Hades and Persephone talk of the future.

“Persephone, please… You don’t have to do this. You don’t know what he’ll say.” Hades was speaking softly to me as we stood outside the gate to the area where the Titans were held in Tartarus, deep in the pit, the darkness and pressure entombing us. “He has a way with words. I would know, after all. I have to listen to him.” Her eyes kept flicking to the door anxiously, as wide as a child’s. She had been trying to persuade me out of my idea the entire walk there.  
“Yes, I have to agree with Aidoneus, Praxidike,” Kottos said.  
“It is… an unwise course of action.”  
“It’s perfectly safe, isn’t it?” I asked impatiently.  
There wasn’t any particular valid reason I wanted to see Cronus, mostly childish curiosity. Cronus had been a legend, only a villain in a story to my generation, but since I was given the chance to see him, why shouldn’t I? It was also to test Hades, to see how far she would allow me to go, if she truly trusted my judgment after everything that had happened between us.  
“Well, yes,” Gyges answered finally.  
“Then I don’t see a problem.”  
Hades inclined her head. “Very well. If you would open the door.”  
Kottos and Gyges each put at least ten hands against the gate, impossible to count the exact number through the tangle of vines that were their arms. The door glowed a faint red before the screech of scraping metal sounded and the door was pushed inward, letting a gust of warm, rotten air out. I fought not to gag.  
“No bathing allowed.” Hades shrugged.  
Low voices started whispering from inside.  
“Leave the door open, would you?” Hades asked the Hekatonkheires. “We shouldn’t be long.”  
I stepped inside and Hades followed me with her torch, its flames so small it barely provided any light. Sounds of movement filled the dark space, rustling of cloth and clanking of heavy chains. The ceiling was low, barely above our heads, making me feel cramped and constricted, which put me on edge even further.  
The clanking of the metal began growing louder and formed into a pattern.  
“Silence,” ordered a deep voice, raspy with disuse. The rhythmic clanking stopped. “Blood of my blood, my child and my… grandchild.”  
Hades walked next to me down the corridor, past cells with darkened forms tied up in thick golden chains, the other Titans like Menoetius, Iapetus, Perses, Coeus, Pallas, and Crius. I remembered from my notes that most of the female Titans had been spared from imprisonment, though the texts were not very detailed on who exactly had been spared. There were certainly more cells and huddled figures in them than just the number of Titans I had listed, but I could ask Hades about that later.  
We stopped in front of the last cell. The form inside moved forward, as much as his chains would allow. The faint light of the torch illuminated a thick beard flecked with silver but not much else.  
“Thank you for the fresh air. How long has it been since you visited, Hades? A few thousand years? It’s hard to keep track.”  
“Not long enough,” she muttered sharply, with none of her usual polite pretenses.  
“And you…” Cronus’ voice was then directed at me. “Persephone, is it? A charming name, quite an epithet given at birth. You look a bit like Demeter, yet that is certainly not something little Demeter would name her daughter.”  
“Why is my name any concern of yours?” I asked calmly, even though I was unnerved at how surprisingly sane and normal he was acting.  
Regardless of his current demeanor, he had been capable of great evil and he was the reason Hades was shaking beside me. I could not see the movement, but I could feel her tremors where her shoulder leaned against mine, as if I was her rock. The thought of her needing me as an anchor to hold her steady against her fear fueled a more personal reason to despise Cronus. He had eaten her, his own child, the love of my life, and even after all this time, she was still terrified of him. It steeled my resolve.  
“She-who-destroys-light. They certainly had plans for you, didn’t they?”  
“Plans that worked out, apparently.” I glanced to Hades quickly.  
Cronus spat a few curses at Ananke and the Fates before stilling and then smiling, the thick shadows contorting as his face took on a sharp, antagonistic expression.  
My spine went cold under the thick cloak and armor I was wearing as I readied myself for whatever blow he was about to deliver with his words alone.  
“Enjoying your fated marriage with my firstborn son?”  
Hades drew in a sharp breath that whistled between her teeth. “I’m not your son.”  
“Not anymore, I suppose,” Cronus said flippantly. “Such a disappointment. No wonder it was your bastard of a brother who won rulership over the sky and the gods.”  
“As if a disappointing child was the least of your concerns when you ate us whole,” Hades spat, while ignoring the rest of his jab.  
He ignored her completely. “Has Hades told you?”  
She interrupted him with a rushed voice. “I haven’t because it doesn’t matter.”  
“Hades was my firstborn son, as the stories say, as everyone says. Hades was not always of… that form.” I saw Cronus’ teeth flash as he bared a smile.  
I looked to Hades, whose brows were drawn together in fury as she stared at Cronus. “Hades?”  
“I will not lie to you and try to convince you that he is speaking false truths. It’s true.” She exhaled slowly and tore her gaze away from Cronus to plead with me. “When I was born, I was male, but when he ate me, while I was in his stomach with my sisters, and then Poseidon… I changed. I grew into this. When Zeus helped us out, our second birth as the mortals like to call it, I was as you see me now. As far as I’m concerned, I’m a woman, and have always been since I gained consciousness, and that is why it did not occur to me to tell you… but I should have known he would bring it to light. Cronus is trying to tear a rift between us. It’s one of his favorite activities, considering he can’t do much else from the comfort of his cell.” Her eyes turned back to him sharply. “I have faith that Persephone cares for me regardless of a very distant past. Can you say the same, for anyone?”  
Cronus shrugged under his chains. “You could always change back, if you wanted to. None of you seem to have problems changing your forms to what you see fit.”  
“But I don’t want to. That was not who I am. I thought I made that quite clear to you and everyone else.”  
Cronus ignored her. “It’s why my other children still call Hades a man, why Hades is a masculine name. I supposed it’s a hard habit to break.”  
“Your approval and the approval of my siblings is hardly something I care about, Father. You needn’t worry about that.”  
“They’ve certainly adapted to the modern times, as they call it. I heard Zeus took some mortal man and turned him into a god just so he could keep him! My father is turning in his grave at the idea of it.”  
“If you don’t approve of Hades or what the gods have done with their era, that’s fine,” I said calmly. “The approval of a tyrannical king long past, locked and hidden away in the deepest crevice of the earth, is hardly relevant.”  
Cronus’ eyes turned to slits. “Careful, girl.”  
“It’s not my nature to be careful and you’re hardly a threat to me,” I quipped. “You’re the god of time, are you not? Weren’t you able to see your downfall before it happened? Couldn’t you have done something to prevent it? Did you sit by and accept it or… was you eating your children an attempt to prevent it? If so, you played right into the hands of Fate yourself. The inevitability of Fate is certainly… annoying, is it not?”  
“You know nothing of what happened. They called it the golden age when I ruled! There was peace, prosperity… Now the humans all kill each other in favor of you gods, going to war, spreading plague…”  
Hades cut him off quickly. “How the gods above affect the lives of the mortals is no concern of ours. We take no part in it. We only receive the after effects of the messes they’ve made.”  
“You say I know nothing, but I do know of Fate’s deceptive ways. Even you knew of my marriage, although I’m not sure how.”  
“The other things down here… They talk… a lot.”  
“So do you,” Hades said offhand. She was starting to sound a bit like I did, which made me raise an eyebrow to her. She looked away from me quickly.  
I returned to my original train of thought. “So, did you know you were going to be thrown down here? Did you know you’d end up a broken man, waiting out eternity?”  
“I am not a broken man,” Cronus seethed.  
“Quite the arrogance it takes to think one isn’t broken when they are.”  
“I am a Titan, not a man, and I am not broken.”  
“But you are.” I grinned as I approached the bars of his cell slowly. “Do you want to know how I know? You wouldn’t still be here if you weren’t, and yet…”  
Cronus tried to lurch forward but was held back by the chains. “Do not test me. You are but a child, and a child queen is still just a child. You’re one of Zeus’ countless bastard offspring, invisible, unknown, irrelevant, traded off like a sow to be bred. You are not the foretold queen of Tartarus. I know that.”  
I humored him. “How?”  
“You know nothing of ruling. You think I am a villain based on the stories they tell. Victors always sound like the heroes, don’t they? Funny how that is. What you don’t realize, Kore,” he spat the old epithet out as an insult. “A crown makes villains of us all.”  
“Perhaps I am already a villain, then. Mortals die in droves because of me and I’m sure some have taken to using my name as a curse. They believe Hades to be the villain because they think she took me against my will. It’s all a matter of perspective.”  
“Then perhaps we are more alike that I realized.”  
“Perhaps,” I repeated. “But you do not know that for sure, or if everything I’ve said to you has been lies, or if we are even here at all, if your sanity is still intact or shattered ten eons ago. After all, if you cannot see that your spirit was broken a long, long time ago, what else are you blinded to?”  
Cronus bellowed curses at me as he fought against the chains, but they didn’t break. They would never break.  
Hades put her hand on my shoulder, motioning for us to leave. I shrugged it off.  
Summoning up a meager bit of power, I manipulated one of the chains and moved it into Cronus’ open mouth, like a gag. His screaming was cut short as he was forced to look at me with rage that could probably start a fire.  
“Silence, Cronus. Your screaming means nothing, haven’t you realized? You will no longer torment Hades or whisper awful nothings into her ears as she sleeps. You’ll no longer say anything at all. And the rest of you, too,” I threw my voice back down the corridor to the other cells. “After all, these cells are like luxury compared to other things I have seen here, and I’m sure we could get much more creative. A gag is the least of your problems. It’s in your best interest not to test me, Cronus. Do not underestimate my wrath. They do not call me Epaine without reason.”  
He glowered at me, silently.  
“Come, Hades. My curiosity has been sated. He’s a lowly dead king, with nothing important to say, no insight or wisdom to offer, only hanging on to a nonexistent thread of hope, just like all the rest of the mortals out there. He really has fallen, hasn’t he? What a disappointment.”  
I heard the chains move as we turned and started walking away, but that, too, faded. We emerged from their prison and the Hekatonkheires closed and sealed the door quickly.  
Hades sighed heavily, shaking her head. “You shouldn’t have antagonized him, Persephone.”  
“It’s one of my many gifts,” I teased, before I realized she was serious. “He can and will do nothing.”  
“You don’t know that.”  
“If he does, I’ll come back here and make good on my threats.” I took her free hand in mine. “You don’t have to be afraid of him anymore, Hades.”  
Her eyes widened and she snatched her hand away from me. “Would you suddenly not be afraid of your father after knowing everything he has done in order to get you?”  
Her words, completely unexpected and harsh, stung me. I took a step back. “I think it’s time we leave.”  
“Yes, let’s.” Hades turned on her heel and I quickly fell into place behind her, not wanting to misstep and fall into the abyss. “A pleasure, as always, Gyges and Kottos.”  
“We look forward to your next visit--hopefully scheduled, of course. We wouldn’t want any unforeseen events bringing about a new meeting.” Kottos’ sentence ended, but a deep rumbling, the sound of an avalanche of rocks, took its place.  
I realized with a start that Kottos was chuckling.  
“Agreed. I have enough to worry about.” Hades started navigating the way back.  
Gyges spoke. “It was nice finally meeting you, Praxidike.”  
“Do come back,” added Kottos.  
“I will,” I called out behind me.  
We started to pass the screaming residents again, neither of us speaking. Already, weariness was starting to creep into my bones and weigh down my eyelids. I didn’t know if it was the journey here, the strenuous use of my power on Cronus, or both causing it, but I followed her without complaint. I waited for her to speak, but we had already passed Ixion’s Wheel and she hadn’t broken the silence, so I started worrying.  
“Hades…” I finally said softly and watched her tense in front of me.  
“What?”  
I narrowed my eyes at her harsh tone with me. “I’m sorry.”  
“For what?”  
Honestly, I hadn’t thought I’d need to elaborate so I paused as I gathered my thoughts. “For making you face him, for thinking I understood how you felt…” I trailed off.  
“Apology accepted,” Hades said without stopping or turning back to face me.  
We fell into silence again and I frowned. My apology had been meant to spark conversation, to make sure everything was okay between us, but it clearly hadn’t worked. Hades must have sensed my irritation and finally relented, her shoulders moving up and down under her cloak as she took a deep breath.  
“You aren’t angry with me?”  
“What?” I asked dumbly, certainly not expecting her to ask that. “Why?”  
“Of my… change and how I withheld that information with you.”  
I was taken aback. “Of course I’m not. If it really happened all that time ago, I hardly believe it’s something you think of often.”  
“Not often, no.”  
“And as long as you aren’t some male god only pretending to have a female form just to trick me, then we are fine.”  
“Of course not!” Hades turned suddenly to look me deep in the eyes. “I swear it, on the Styx.”  
“Zeus once tricked one of Artemis’ priestesses into having sex with him by disguising himself as Artemis. Callisto, I believe her name was. It was a valid question.”  
“Ah, I see.” Hades’ eyes flashed in the darkness and then she turned and resumed climbing the stairs. “I wish I could say that it surprised me.”  
I was actually getting winded, with my exhaustion and the weight of the armor and the cloak. “So, are we fine then?”  
“Yes, but if you want to speak further, wait until we leave. Tartarus takes a toll on both body and mind. I have already said things I regret and do not wish to push my chances.”  
“The Hekatonkheires seem fine.”  
“We can withstand it,” Gyges added from below us.  
“We have lived here nearly our whole lives. We are a part of Tartarus now.”  
“Fair enough,” I said as I noticed how the light of the Phlegethon had grown brighter and how I could no longer hear any screams below us. “Have we nearly reached the top?”  
“Almost.”  
“Finally,” I said under my breath.  
Hades chuckled. “Excited to leave?”  
“Yes,” I answered quickly and then faltered and added, “sorry.”  
The Hekatonkheires answered in unison. “We take no offense.”  
The faint outline of the gate came into view and I sighed in relief. Hades wasted no time approaching and opening it.  
Blinding light made my eyes tear up as I raised my arm to block it and the air of the Underworld flooded my senses, absolutely warm compared to the cold of Tartarus. We stepped blindly through and the door sealed itself behind us. I made my armor recede and took off the cloak, rolling my shoulders, breathing in the fresh air, the temperature difference spreading goosebumps across my skin. A very heavy weight, what had been draining me and smothering my powers, was lifted and I felt much better, but I was still exhausted.  
When I was finally able to open my eyes, I realized Hemera’s sun was setting. It had not even been rising when we descended. “How long have we been gone?”  
Hades shrugged. “We’ll see. I’m too tired to care. Let’s go home.”  
I reached my hand out to hers and we were whisked to the palace. The doors opened without word and Markos was waiting to greet us.  
“Welcome back, my lord, my lady.”  
Hades walked past him. “Have food and water ready when we wake.”  
“As you wish.”  
Her blunted replies made me widen my eyes at her as we climbed the stairs together.  
She noticed my expression. "They know not to trouble me with any matters upon my return from Tartarus until after I've rested. Remember when I returned to you and how you invited me to bed?"  
I felt heat pool in my cheeks from residual embarrassment of my rash behavior that night. "Yes."  
"Even in the morning, Markos did not wake me or pressure me with any responsibilities until later in the day, after we had slept in. The same will happen tomorrow."  
When we reached my room, Hades collapsed onto my bed without another word, and even though I was probably just as tired as she was, I knew sleep would not come easy.  
I took off my clothes and sandals slowly as I processed everything that had occurred, the torture, the confrontation with Cronus, the giant Hekatonkheires. I eased Hades’ sandals off of her feet as well.  
“You were magnificent, my love,” her voice was muffled through the pillows.  
“Truly?”  
“You handled it much better than my first time below. I wretched for hours upon my return and slept for a week straight.”  
I was silent as I crawled into bed beside her. “I know I shouldn’t have said those things to…”  
Hades turned to me and pressed her index finger to my mouth. “He is quiet. They are all quiet. This is the first time that has ever happened and I am grateful.” Her finger moved to stroke my cheek softly. “Queen of Tartarus, Praxidike.”  
“There’s no need for formalities, Hades. I will always be Persephone to you.”  
“I love you, Persephone.”  
“And I love you,” I murmured as I nestled into the pillows and faced her. “Are we equals now, Hades?”  
“We have always been equals, Persephone. It was only my pride keeping me from seeing it sooner. You are my equal in every way, and even beyond, you are greater than I.”  
“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow. “Do continue.”  
Hades obliged with a smile. “Your beauty, for one. Your ability to wield both powers of life and death, another. You are the ruler of Tartarus…”  
“So are you.”  
“No, I’m not. There has never been a ruler of Tartarus. I am only Aidoneus or the Unseen One to them. I am a warden, like the Hekatonkheires, but not a lord, not a king. There has never been a ruler of Tartarus because they were waiting… for you. You are their queen, their exacter of justice, their savior, their mother. You hold those titles alone, Persephone. That’s what you were born for.”  
I didn’t know if I believed it but decided I would think about it when I was better rested. Hades continued to watch me, although her eyelids were starting to droop. “Hades?” I asked quietly.  
“Yes?”  
“Let’s get married.”  
Her eyes widened. “Truly?”  
“Yes. I want to marry you.” I nodded slowly, surely. “I want to because I love you, because you are my equal, not because Fate says it should be so.” I smiled, heat creeping into my cheeks once again.  
Hades leaned forward and kissed me. “Finally, you wretched, unyielding woman.”  
“The wretched, unyielding woman who is going to be your wife,” I corrected over her mouth.  
Hades pulled away, tired eyes flashing. “I hope you don’t mean right this moment. Can I sleep first?”  
I laughed. “Of course.”  
I turned away from her and Hades wrapped me in her arms and pulled me towards her body, idly kissing my shoulder as we settled and stilled, although I could feel her vibrating in newfound excitement.  
How happy I made her was an unfathomable concept to me, but I was happy too, even despite the residual gloom of Tartarus hanging around my spirit.  
Queen of Tartarus.  
Queen of torture and sins and horror.  
Queen of imprisonment.  
Queen of justice, retribution.  
Had this been what I wanted? Had this been the recognition my being had always longed for?  
I tried closing my eyes and stilling my thoughts, but then I heard faint echoing of the screaming. I pictured Ixion on his wheel, his skin splitting and hissing as it charred, or the pieces of Tityos’ liver hanging from the vultures’ beaks, or Cronus’ dark eyes, much like Hades’, flashing in his cell, or the Hekatonkheires massive hands swooping over my head, or giant serpentine bones protruding from the earth.  
I had been absolutely still for quite some time while I was absorbed in my thoughts, but so had Hades, so I figured she was asleep. Her hand started slowly stroking mine, stirring me from my thoughts, but I didn’t move. It was clear she believed me to be asleep, too.  
It was interesting how neither of us could sleep despite our exhaustion. I had my questions, and I thought Hades couldn’t sleep because of her excitement at the prospect of our upcoming wedding, but I was wrong about that as well.  
“She sounded so much like him…” She murmured aloud, barely audible as I felt her breath ruffle my hair. “Using his own games against him… Did she know? How could she?”  
I opened my eyes and fought not to flinch.  
Had I really sounded like her father?  
How badly did it frighten her?  
“I didn’t know,” I whispered softly.  
Hades jerked suddenly, which scared me as well, our chests rising and falling heavily before she replied. “I didn’t know you were still awake, my love. I shouldn’t have spoken, or even thought that about you.”  
I turned my head. “I can’t sleep.”  
“I can’t either.” Hades took a moment to sigh heavily. “It’s usually not like this for me, not anymore.”  
“We did many new things today. I ventured to Tartarus for the very first time, I stood to witness the horrors and the Hekatonkheires, met my grandfather, which inadvertently caused you to have to face him… I shouldn’t have demanded that of you. It was unfair and cruel.” I flipped over to face her fully and ran my fingers down her cheek. “Are they still silent?”  
She closed her eyes for a moment. “Yes, the Titans and other creatures of Tartarus are silent, for once. Thank you for that. I am eternally grateful.”  
I kissed her forehead softly and I decided to distract us. “Who shall we invite to the wedding?”  
Hades’ eyes started shining. “I think I’d like the actual ceremony to be small and private. Hecate, the twins…”  
“Daeira,” I added. “She would be so cross if I forgot about her again.”  
“A valid point,” Hades said, but I could tell she was thinking. “As for the celebrations afterwards… everyone.”  
I raised an eyebrow. “Everyone?”  
“Yes!” Hades sat up excitedly. “Well, not the dead, of course, but everyone else. The gods, the Protogenoi, the free Titans, the daimones, the nymphs, the judges… I want everyone to see their new queen.”  
I couldn’t help but smile as I watched her near-childlike excitement, causing her to move animatedly and shake the bed. “And the hieros gamos? When will we do that? Before the celebration? After?”  
“After,” Hades answered quickly. “From what Hecate has told me, it is very private and very… demanding.” Hades’ eyes flicked up to me again. “You really want to?”  
“Your strange sex ritual? Sure,” I laughed languidly.  
Hades tried not to laugh, but failed. “Persephone, it isn’t just a sex ritual! It is the most sacred and rare union, to be honored and…”  
“Speaking of which,” I pulled Hades down by the fabric of her peplos since she hadn’t bothered to disrobe and kissed her slowly and thoroughly. “I think I have a few remedies for sleeplessness…”  
“Oh?” Hades asked while my teeth nipped her bottom lip. “Are you trying to steal Hypnos’ job, too?”  
I unclipped one of her fibulae. “More like… an Aphrodite trade secret.”  
“Trade secret from Aphrodite, you say?” Hades whispered as my mouth moved to her throat, her words and pulse humming beneath my lips. “I’m intrigued. Do enlighten me.”  
“As you wish, wife.”


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Preparations have begun for the wedding, but a startling and disturbing discovery is made.

News of our upcoming wedding spread through the palace and the rest of the Underworld like wildfire thanks to Hades. She had woken up before me in the morning, apparently started planning while I was sleeping, slipped back into bed with me, and was stroking my hair when I awoke. Hades told me that any events in the Underworld were always like this, since they were so rare, but that our wedding would be the biggest and best celebration since the beginning of time.  
I laughed and told her that it was a hard promise to fulfill.  
She kissed me and told me she was more than up to the challenge.  
Later that day, gifts started to arrive at the palace and were delivered to my room; bolts of richly dyed fabrics, countless piles of loose gemstones or jewelry, caskets of wine, stacks of letters with words of congratulations, vaguely labelled vials of tonics that Hades told me not to touch until Hecate could inspect them, and much more. My room was filled within hours and the rest of the gifts were forced to be taken and stored elsewhere in the castle. Hades’ servants, usually silent and mindful to keep out of the way, frequently passed by whatever room I was in to catch glimpses of me, ghostly giggling echoing through stone hallways.  
Daeira had been ecstatic when Hades and I told her the news that morning, eyes brimming with tears as she hugged me. “I’m so happy for the both of you!”  
Hecate visited the palace to give her congratulations in person, although she wasn’t surprised. No one in the Underworld was, since they knew we were arranged to be wed, since it was only a matter of time.  
She started browsing through the vials of tonic at Hades’ request. “For sleep, for pain, for visions, for arousal… From what I’ve heard, you both certainly won’t need that. For fertility… You won’t need that either.”  
“Where are the twins?” I asked from my place near the doorway, trying to be unobtrusive while servants carried in more gifts, Hecate surveyed one side of the room, and Hades took stock of the other.  
“Give them some time to come around. I think they foolishly were holding out hope for you to take up their offers for… intimacy. Or, perhaps they’re busy.”  
I gave Hecate an incredulous look and Hades snorted without looking up from the scroll she was writing on.  
Hecate glanced up at me and sighed before laughing. “I know, I know. When are they ever busy? They may be some of the oldest daimones but they’re both a couple of reprobates. Speaking of which, that reminds me. How was Tartarus? You were gone for a few days.”  
“It was… enlightening.”  
“Dreadful pace,” Hecate shuddered.  
“You’ve been?”  
“Rarely. I go to visit my father every few thousand years.”  
“Who is your father?”  
“Perses.”  
“The Titan god of destruction?”  
She must have heard the incredulity in my voice. “I know, I know. I’m quite… different from my parents.”  
“Isn’t there any… animosity? All things considered, of course.” I knew that Hecate had sided with my father and the other gods during the Titanomachy, and Perses had, obviously, not.  
“There used to be. Too much time has passed for that now.”  
“But…”  
“He was doing what his king commanded, what his king thought was right. They all did. It is certainly reminiscent of what is currently happening, no?”  
I quieted.  
“While we’re all still here,” Hades started casually, still not bothering to pause taking inventory. “Hecate, do you think you could teach us the hieros gamos?”  
Hecate whirled around at her, crystalline eyes going wide with shock as her gaze snapped between me and Hades quickly. I glanced questioningly at Hades’ back and then shrugged to Hecate.  
“Hades?” Hecate said to get her attention.  
She was forced to look up, but I saw that her cheeks were flushed from embarrassment or shyness. “What?”  
“You don’t just ask about the hieros gamos so casually! You both want to attempt it? Persephone knows what it entails?”  
“She knows about as much as I do.”  
“Which is?” Hecate prodded, eyeing me for the answer.  
“It’s a ritual that involves sex and is meant to join and bind twin souls together.”  
“Well, that was a rather crude description, but yes.”  
“I hardly think that was necessary, Hecate,” Hades sighed and resumed looking over the gifts.  
“Of course it was. Neither of you are known for your communication skills, to say the very least!”  
I opened my mouth to argue but heard Hecate mutter, “... and they want to perform the hieros gamos! Pfft!”  
“Was that a refusal, Hecate?” Hades asked, her tone revealing nothing.  
“I suppose you both are alike in that aspect. Very well, I just hope it won’t be a waste of my time.”  
“So you can teach us?” I asked quickly, a hint of excitement leaking into my voice.  
“I know more than the both of you, but not everything. I’ll have to speak with Nyx on the matter and then we can start. It requires specific vows and actions, certain ancient spellwork, which I don’t know, and the rest of it will be up to the both of you.”  
“I’m sure we’ll be fine with that part.” I grinned.  
Hades chuckled.  
Hecate rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, on the sex part, I’m sure, but that isn’t all there is to it. You have to keep your minds completely open, free from secrets or doubt or any other negative feelings you may still be harboring for each other, and for the immortal… baring one’s mind does not come easily.” She looked to Hades, her mouth drawing into a fine line. “Especially for you, with all the ways you’ve had to build up walls over the years.”  
I didn’t say anything.  
“Well, I have other matters to attend to, but I will be seeing the both of you again very soon.” Hecate excused herself and quickly left the room.  
Hades sighed and set down her scroll. “We should go to the Hall and help the judges.”  
“But…” I started, looking around. “What about all this? What about the plans for the wedding?”  
“The planning will continue. I have the servants starting the preparations already.”  
“I certainly hope you haven’t planned this before I asked you.” I narrowed my eyes skeptically at her.  
She laughed. “Of course not, dear wife. Although, since it’s so difficult to keep anything a secret from you, I have to ask.”  
“Yes?”  
“Am I allowed to keep a few secrets as surprises for the wedding?”  
“As long as it’s not something like inviting my father.”  
“You have my word.” She nodded deeply. “As for helping the judges… if you heard Hecate, she said we were gone for days in Tartarus. We should definitely go and do our duty.”  
I sighed and smiled, following her out of the room. “Always so responsible.”  
“One of us has to be,” Hades laughed as she spun around and pinned me to the wall, the torchlight casting her features into shadow. “Besides, if we get a lot done before the wedding, we’ll be able to take more time off after the wedding.”  
“Oh?” I murmured, glancing down at her lips. “Doing what?”  
“A lot of this,” She bridged the small space between us and kissed me while her hand slid between the open side of my peplos and burned holes into my skin. “And more,” she finished and pulled away from me.  
“That isn’t fair.”  
“It gives you something to look forward to.”  
“What is that supposed to mean? Are you abstaining from me until after the wedding?” I called out as I followed her.  
Hades laughed as she opened a door and disappeared through it. “You sound so worried, Persephone!”  
“That wasn’t an answer,” I said, emerging outside.  
I hadn’t realized this was another exit, but I hadn’t ever been to this part of her palace before. I used to explore, sometimes with Daeira, sometimes alone, when Hades was away at the Hall, but the palace was still so elaborate and massive that I had hardly seen any of it. Lately, I hadn’t been exploring at all, my brief stay with the Erinyes and then accompanying Hades to the Hall every day preventing it.  
Hades had already disappeared so I followed her to the Hall and we arrived just as the judges were finishing up one judgment and sending the soul to the Asphodel Fields.  
“How lovely of you to decide to join us,” Aeacus rolled his eyes.  
Rhadamanthus leaned over and hit him on the head with his scroll before turning back to us. “I believe congratulations are in order.”  
“Thank you.” Hades nodded as we passed them.  
“Let’s begin, then.”  
It was hard to focus on any of it. After the first soul, I started shifting in my seat, crossing and uncrossing my ankles. After the second soul, I started drumming my fingers on the armrest. Everything they said I only nodded and agreed to or said nothing at all. After the third, I couldn’t sit still any longer.  
“Hades, I need to be excused.”  
“Yes, I think that would be a good idea,” murmured Hades, who had been casting long side glances towards me since I started my anxious movements.  
“I think I’ll go help Charon. Unfortunately, news of the wedding hasn’t stopped that problem. I’ll see all of you later.” I stood quickly, kissed Hades on the cheek, and departed.  
Melinoe and a few of the older Oneiroi were helping transport souls and Charon was leaning against his oar talking to them when I arrived.  
“Taking a break? You certainly can’t be that busy,” I teased.  
“A short break every now and then is warranted after all my hard work, I assure you, wild woman. After all, I heard you and Hades took a vacation.”  
Melinoe and the Oneiroi bowed to me and I waved a dismissive hand. “If you mean our visit to Tartarus, I hardly call that a vacation.”  
“Ah, I suppose not. From wild nymph to chthonic queen, oh how the times have changed. What is it they’ve taken to calling you?”  
“Praxidike, among other things.”  
“Exacter of justice.” He chuckled. “Have a temper, do you?”  
“Would you like to find out?” I bared my teeth at him.  
He seemed unimpressed. “No, but what I would like to know… Am I invited to the wedding?”  
“The celebration afterwards, of course. Hades says she wants to invite everyone. Although, I’m not exactly sure when or where it will be happening. Once we figure it out, I’m sure we’ll let you know.”  
“It’s been too long since we’ve had a good party.”  
“Well, I’m off to do your job for you. I’ll see you on the other side, so to speak.”  
“I’d love to sit in a throne all day and then relax in a grand palace. You need only ask to switch places.”  
“You’d have to be a woman to take my place. Sorry, Charon.” I laughed.  
“Oh? That could be arranged…” Charon’s voice changed and I watched as his appearance morphed into the likeness of me. “Would she like me now?”  
Even his voice sounded like me and I repressed a shudder. “That’s just unsettling.”  
He laughed and returned to his usual form and I took myself to the other side of the river.  
The crowd of souls was bigger than ever and for a moment I was frozen, taking it all in. I let my power free, let the darkness swirl up around the feet of a hundred of them, controlled it with outstretched hands to envelop them, and we traveled back to Charon and the others.  
Charon whistled when we arrived. “That’s pretty impressive.”  
“I’m restless and I’d like to get something done.” I watched as the souls faded away one by one, transported to their respective realms.  
I resumed my work, Melinoe and the Oneiroi helping me, and together we were able to transport hundreds of souls at a time. The crowd on the bank started to thin even though more souls kept arriving. After an hour or so the others had to leave and I was left alone, but I didn’t stop until sweat trickled down my neck from exertion a few hours later.  
Charon paddled up to me as I surveyed all I had done. “It hasn’t been this empty in ages.”  
“It will fill again soon. I just wish…” I trailed off slowly, unsure of what I had meant to say.  
“What? You wish the mortals would stop dying?”  
“No. I suppose I meant I wish the madness causing all of this would end.” I shook my head. “But just like death, it will not stop. Not until I take action.”  
“And what action would that be?” Charon asked lightly, leaning against his oar.  
“I’m not sure, only that I should be the one to put an end to this… but I feel as though something is about to happen. It’s just a vague feeling, but I hope I’m wrong.”  
“Hmm…” Charon murmured thoughtfully.  
I had been feeling something approaching on the horizon of the future, a sense of foreboding, but I had never been a seer and thought it could just be my worry. We hadn’t heard any news since Hermes left with talk of war and not knowing had been troubling me.  
“I’m afraid I’ll need to be going before I decide to sleep in the dirt.”  
“I’ll see you at the wedding.”  
When I traveled, I hadn’t been thinking clearly, and was surprised when I landed on the Erinyes’ doorstep. It had become a force of habit to travel back here after helping Charon while I had been staying with them. I hadn’t seen any of them in awhile so I decided to knock.  
One of the Arae answered, a man with long brown hair that was tied back. “My lady?”  
“Is Alecto here?”  
“Yes.”  
“Good,” I said, stepping inside. “I’ll find my way there.”  
“Persephone, that isn’t exactly advisable…”  
“Nonsense. Thanks for letting me in.”  
But when I got to Alecto’s room and opened the door, I realized exactly why seeing her wasn’t advisable.  
The first thing I saw was the pale expanse of Alecto’s bare back rising out of the sheets and then with startling clarity I realized Alecto had company of the male variety, in bed. Alecto had been on top of him and they paused when I entered, Alecto turning with eyes wide in surprise. I couldn’t see whoever she was with, but I didn’t try to look very closely.  
“Didn’t mean to interrupt,” I said quickly, eyes focused on the opposite wall. “Shall I come by later?”  
“No, you can stay. He can leave.” Alecto moved off of the man and I saw he was one of the Oneiroi.  
“Apologies, my lady,” he muttered as he flushed in embarrassment and moved to get dressed.  
I snorted but said nothing, finding it amusing that he apologized to me, as I crossed the room to pour myself some wine and turned my back to them. I opened the doors to her balcony and sat on one of the lounges, waiting for Alecto to join me.  
He left without another word and Alecto, dressed in a very loose chiton and carrying the bottle of wine, joined me on the balcony.  
“That was… surprising,” I said, sipping some of the bitter wine. “Sorry for interrupting your fun.”  
“Don’t be.” She took the goblet from me and drank deeply. “He wasn’t very good.”  
“Heard about the wedding?”  
There was a pause. “Of course.”  
I glanced over to her. “Aren’t you going to congratulate me? Everyone is.”  
A sharp, cynical laugh erupted from Alecto’s lips so I looked away and said nothing. A few moments passed before she asked, “Are you angry with me?”  
“What for?” I looked back at her, confused.  
“The Oneiros.”  
“No.” I took the goblet from her and drank. “I have no place to be angry with you. You are not mine and never were, just like I am not yours.”  
“But you’re now Hades’,” she muttered sharply.  
“I am no one’s.” I was quick to correct her. “Who I choose to give a piece of my heart to does not own me. I am my own person and will always be my own person.”  
“Yet you’ve decided to marry her?”  
“Marriage may work as an ownership between mortals, and between gods, but she is not my husband. We are equals and she cannot and will not ever limit or define me.” I paused, unsure of how to continue. “I see this news displeases you. We could be lovers, if you wished. My marriage wouldn’t affect that.”  
Alecto chuckled, taking the goblet from me again. “Oh? And what of Hades?”  
“She told me I could… that she didn’t mind sharing. She was lying, of course. I’m not a fool, not when it comes to her. She thinks we already are lovers, in case you weren’t aware of that. Regardless of her halfhearted permission, I’m free to do whatever I please. As if I need her permission to do anything,” I finished with a laugh.  
“What a fine marriage you’ve orchestrated for yourself.”  
“I like to think so.” I watched her carefully, but her expression was unreadable. I wondered what it would be like to have her gift, to be able to peer into someone’s very soul, to know what she was thinking.  
She fixed her eyes on me over the rim of the goblet. “You don’t want that.”  
“Reading into me?” I asked quietly, leaning over the arm of the lounge to her. She refilled the goblet and handed it back to me. “Trying to see if I’m telling you the truth?”  
“You are. I don’t need my insight to know that.” She turned away from me and sat back in her lounge.  
“I thought you should know.” I sat back in mine unhappily. “It’s not without its… complications… but I’ll respect your decision regardless.”  
“Why didn’t you ask this of me before?” Her words were quiet in an effort to hide whatever emotions might be conveyed by them.  
“I respect you too much, Alecto. I care for you. You know this,” I murmured, setting the goblet down on the table between us and extending my hand to her. “I wasn’t going to sleep with you if my only reason was my anger towards Hades.”  
“Yet now that you’re getting married you want to?” Her words were sharp and she refused to accept my hand.  
I withdrew it. “I’ve wanted to far before that. You would know this, as well. Whatever happens between us, whether it be sex or this marriage or nothing at all, I don’t want to lose your companionship. It is one of the greatest gifts I have received down here. It is yet another reason why I refrained from being… forward with my feelings towards you.”  
Alecto’s unwavering eyes stared out into the darkness of the Underworld. “The situation is far more complicated than you truly realize, Persephone.”  
“Explain it to me, then.”  
She slowly looked back at me. “There are certain loyalties that are expected of subjects. Hades is our lord, our king, although she remains fairly relaxed about her position in most circumstances. It would not be very loyal to sleep with my king’s wife. Even if she gave you permission, which is dubious, to say the least, what’s there to say she wouldn’t punish me for it? Any king would.”  
“She may be king down here, but she has no control over that choices I make regarding personal matters. She wouldn’t punish you, either. She wouldn’t dare. I would make sure of that.”  
Alecto ignored me. “And because of who I am. I punish those who break oaths. What would that say about me if I willingly and knowingly… helped you break yours?”  
“I did not make that vow,” I hissed. “You know this already.”  
“Yes, I know, but you are going to marry her of your own free will. You are going to make new vows all your own. What of them? Do you not respect vows at all?”  
“Of course I respect them.”  
“Then why would you make vows with Hades if you wanted to break them with me?” I said nothing as she rose and sat next to me on the lounge. As she leaned forward, I held my breath, but she placed her hand on my chest lightly. “You are marrying her because you love her and because you are happy with her. You know this, I know this.” Her hand moved to cup my cheek, her thumb skimming across my skin tenderly. “I want you to marry her because you may have feelings for me, but they are merely a shade of what you feel for Hades. It was meant to be, after all. Do not risk ruining something that has so much potential to be so good for something that would be… temporary at best.” She withdrew her hand with a soft sigh.  
“Is that your final decision?”  
“Yes, it is.”  
I sighed and leaned forward, pulling her into a tight hug. “Fate may have directed me to love Hades, but my feelings for you grew without Fate’s intention. I’ll cherish them.”  
“I know. So will I,” she whispered. I felt Alecto’s hand run down my back lightly and her breath near my ear. “Fate is a cruel mistress.”  
“Fate may be a cruel mistress,” I said as I withdrew slightly, “but so am I.”  
I pressed my lips to hers.  
She froze for a moment, but relented. I felt her lips move under mine as she returned it, her hands moving to hold my face gently, stroking my neck and then my cheeks.  
It was long and passionate, but only because we both knew it would be our very last. It was painfully sweet and tender, but melancholic. There was sadness in it, mourning the loss of something that was never allowed to begin.  
When I finally pulled away, Alecto wiped a tear from my cheek and I rested my head on her shoulder. “Don’t be sad, Persephone. It’s better this way.” She stroked my hair softly. “We can still be close friends, we can still spar until your skills rival mine, you can still stay with me and pillage my wine cellar until I’ve grown sick of you.”  
I laughed and leaned back. “That’s true. Thank you.”  
Alecto leaned over and grabbed the goblet from the table to drink, and then offered it to me. I drank the rest.  
“I should probably leave now.”  
Alecto nodded. “I do have things to do.”  
I stood and chuckled. “Next time I’ll remember to knock. Walking right in has become a habit.”  
“You’re always welcome. You’re certainly better company than a fumbling boy who only cares about his own pleasure.”  
“That is unfortunate,” I paused in her room. “Oh, sparring reminds me! I got new armor. I’ve been training with Hades and the twins, but I could always use your advice. I think you’d like to see it, anyways.”  
“I’d love to see it. Perhaps after the wedding we’ll be able to go a few rounds.” Alecto grinned.  
I bit my lip. “Will you… come to the wedding?”  
“Of course,” she said without hesitation. “My sisters and I will all be there.”  
“See you then!” I turned and left, but I thought her smile had been a little sad.  
* * *  
Plans for the wedding increased triple fold, countless meetings before and after our time spent working with the judges. That night, I found Hades coordinating with Markos in the kitchens, talking about foods and drinks to have for the public celebration after our wedding. When I saw him the next morning, Markos seemed to be commanding nothing short of a small army of servants, having them clean and prepare the grand ballroom, handle decorations, make spare rooms presentable should any of the guests feel like staying, and all sorts of other things.  
Weddings were a difficult thing to understand for me. The mortals had many ceremonies that differed from place to place, but the gods always did things differently. Sometimes it was only the father’s decree and then they were married, no ceremonies to speak of, but sometimes there were celebrations, but nothing to the scale of what Hades was planning. The plans flew over my head so quickly that it was all I could do to quickly agree or disagree with whatever Hades asked me.  
The following day, before we left for our time with the judges, Hades and I were both fitted for our wedding peploi, and my head was measured for the crown she had promised me. The way Hades watched me, with complete adoration and amazement, made me blush.  
“What is the peplos going to look like?” I asked as I stepped down and dressed myself again. “Am I allowed to know or is it one of your many surprises?”  
“It was a surprise, but there’s no harm in showing you the fabric.” Hades nodded to one of the servants. They left the room and quickly returned with a wrapped bundle and a sealed letter on top of it.  
I retrieved it after excitedly throwing a smile to Hades and opened the letter.  
Dearest Sister,  
I’m so happy for you, although I do admit I’m slightly disappointed you didn’t turn out like me, but at least you listened to part of it: men can’t be trusted.  
I paused my reading to laugh and Hades raised an eyebrow.  
To be able to achieve something so beautiful and happy despite everything that has occurred is such a feat only capable of my consistently underestimated but sly and courageous sister. Even Hera herself has blessed your union.  
I wish I could be there to see you, to be a part of the festivities, to wish you well in person, but I’ll see you as soon as I can and I hope you like this in the meantime.   
I entrusted it to the Keres so I hope there won’t be any blood on it when you receive it. I told them it was important, but they can’t be trusted either.  
I chuckled as I discarded the letter and unwrapped the package. My fingertips brushed against the softest fabric I had ever touched, like water slipping between my fingers. I heard Hades lean forward in anticipation and even without looking, I felt her watching me. I pulled away the wrappings and blood red fabric pooled in my hands, woven through with threads of gold that glinted in the firelight. It reminded me of the Phlegethon, of the endless waterfall pouring into Tartarus, the realm I was born to rule, and of the way flames glinted behind my eyes when I used my power.  
“Do you like it?” Hades stirred me from my thoughts. “I’ve been told the mortals wear red to their weddings…”  
“Some do.”  
She stood and approached me, wrapping me in her arms. “And you look positively divine in red, too,” she purred into my ear before she drew my earlobe between her teeth. “Well? Your verdict?”  
I shivered at the sensation. “I love it. It’s the most beautiful fabric I’ve ever seen.”  
“Just wait until my servants get done with it. They’ll add a few… embellishments.”  
“Oh?”  
“Rubies, garnets, topaz, amber, yellow diamonds…”  
“Is that all?” My head swam as I chuckled. “That seems like it would make it quite heavy.”  
She let kissed my neck, right below my ear, undoubtedly feeling my pulse race at her touch. “But I think the best part will be when I get to take it off of you… and we perform the hieros gamos.” Her hand slipped between the open side of my peplos to brush against my breast.  
The servants quickly took the fabric from me and excused themselves. As they closed the door, I turned on Hades and pushed her back onto the table, her thighs on either side of my hips, their warmth radiating through both of our peploi. I took her chin and she left me tilt her head back as I peppered kisses down her neck. My fingers itched to run through her long hair, but it was braided and pinned up, and after the extensive process I had watched earlier this morning, Hades would be cross if I ruined it.  
Hades chuckled. “Eager for something, my love?”  
“Perhaps.” I kissed her collarbone softly. “Or perhaps I’m just happy, and in love.”  
She leaned back to look at me, her hands cupping my face and her thumbs skimming over my cheeks. “I have never been happier. This… this has been like a dream to me and I admit I’m terrified.”  
I stilled. “Why?”  
“Good things that happen to me have… a tendency to go wrong.” She sighed and bit her lip thoughtfully. “My birth led immediately to… what Cronus did to all of us, and my freedom led to war, and even our victory led to my own siblings turning on me and essentially imprisoning me here.”  
“Nothing will ruin this for us. I swear it,” I said calmly. “Even if a siege on the Underworld started this very moment, I would find my father and drive my sword through his chest. I would accompany his soul into Tartarus and inflict all kinds of torture to him, and then we would marry and make love while he screams in agony.”  
Hades’ smile was blinding. “Wicked girl.”  
I kissed her. “There is nothing I wouldn’t do for us.”  
“Your love for me is real, then?”  
I narrowed my eyes. “Why wouldn’t it be?”  
“It’s not because of my riches, my power, this?” She gestured to how I had positioned myself between her thighs. “I know what Tisiphone said about you…”  
“All added benefits, my love, but I love you because you know me, although… if you think I’m marrying you because of your wealth, position, or just because you’re good in bed, you certainly don’t know me as well as I thought.” I tipped her head back to look at me. “I could have married anyone I’d like. Do you not think I received any other proposals? Centuries of them, Hades… centuries.”  
Hades raised an eyebrow at me. “I don’t doubt it.”  
“Jewels and sex are commonplace in Olympus. They were offered to me many, many times. It was never enough.” My nails sank into her skin. “You know me; my ambition, my savagery, my wrath, my fear, my love. You do not limit me, you accept me as I am. I have chosen you. I choose you.”  
Her heart was racing. I could see it pounding in her neck. “And what of Alecto? I know you visited her the other day.”  
“Spying on me, my love?”  
“You’re free to go wherever you please, but I make it a habit to know where… should anything happen.”  
I raised an eyebrow but said nothing. I didn’t like it, but she had a point. We could be at war. I was a target, the only target. “I chose you to marry, not Alecto. Nothing has ever happened between us, save for a few kisses. Nothing will happen.”  
Hades narrowed her eyes. “What was your visit for, then?”  
“An offer she ultimately refused,” I said. Hades glanced away. “I will not lie to you about this. I care for Alecto, as a friend, as more than a friend, but even she knows that it is nothing compared to how I feel about you.”  
“You offered yourself and she refused?” She gave me a skeptical look.  
“You gave me permission.” I rolled my eyes.  
“I lied.”  
“I know. I didn’t care.”  
She sighed. “Well, as long as it’s behind you, I suppose there’s nothing more to talk about. We should help the judges.”  
Our time with the judges wasn’t like the usual full day of weighing judgment, since we had spent most of the day with wedding plans and the fitting, so it was only a few hours. Regardless, it still went by slowly, most of the souls being refused relocation and staying in the Asphodel Fields. The list of souls eventually ended and the judges vanished, but as we were about to leave the Hall, Hypnos appeared in front of us.  
He jerked back before laughing. “You scared me.”  
“Done avoiding us, Hypnos?” I cooed.  
Hades chuckled at my side. “I was surprised to not hear from you or your brother. And here I thought we were friends.”  
Hypnos blushed but then his expression changed. “Wait, Thanatos didn’t stop at the palace? I told him to give you both my best wishes.”  
“We haven’t seen him since before we went to Tartarus.” I looked questioningly to Hades. “Unless he’s in on some surprise I’m not supposed to know about and you’ve been meeting with him in secrecy.”  
“I haven’t seen him either, I swear.”  
“Well, that answers that, I suppose.” Hypnos ran a hand over the stubble growing across his chin. “You don’t know where he is? He’s not shacking up with Daeira?”  
“No.”  
“You don’t know where he is?” I asked Hypnos, then turned slightly to Hades. “Does he do this often?”  
“He’s often busy but usually he tells his brother his whereabouts, at the very least,” Hades answered. “This is troubling. You should speak to the Keres.”  
Hypnos sighed as if I had tasked him with a great burden. “If I must.”  
“They’re your sisters,” I laughed.  
“Thanatos was always in their good graces, more so than me.”  
“Hypnos, do bring news of this soon. In spite of everything, I don’t want to fear the worst.”  
“Do you mean Zeus kidnapping him? He wouldn’t dare! The repercussions of…”  
“Zeus has made it clear he doesn’t care about repercussions at all, but, we don’t know anything yet. Thanatos could just be in the mortal world, on a long assignment. The Keres will know for sure.”  
“Very well. Would you like me to bring word to the palace when I find out?”  
“Of course. We don’t want either of you to miss the wedding, after all.” I winked.  
Hypnos nodded and vanished. Hades shook her head, troubled, but we went back to the palace. Markos greeted us at the entrance hall and went over a few issues that had apparently arisen with some types of foods that Hades had wanted to serve.  
“The availability of a lot of fresh foods from the mortal world are… low, to say the very least,” Markos said as he followed us up the stairs.  
“But olive oil? Bread? Wine? Surely we can manage that.”  
“Yes, but it’s more about fresh fruits and vegetables.”  
“If the horses won’t get their apples, they won’t be very happy.”  
“I know,” Hades sighed. “Well, money is no object to me, Markos. Tell the nymphs to head further south when they travel to the mortal world again, and give them more gold and jewels. Money may be meaningless to me, but you know how the mortals are… You are one, Markos.”  
“Nymphs?” I asked. “That’s how you’ve been getting supplies?”  
“Lampades and Cocythiae, mostly. It’s easier for them to mingle with the humans than it is for us. Plus, it’s not like they ever have anything of much importance to do.” Hades shrugged.  
“Is there anything else, Markos? What did I have schedule for us to do this evening?”  
Markos looked down at his scroll, but before he could answer, the front door burst open. Hades and I took a defensive stance, spinning and summoning our armor at the same time. Hypnos ran in, trailed by two of the Keres. We relaxed, only slightly.  
“Bad news,” he rushed. “Anaplekte and Nosos will explain.”  
“Your highnesses.” The Ker with short, curly hair stepped forward. “We haven’t seen Thanatos in ages, which isn’t unusual, since his domain is peaceful deaths and ours is the opposite, but…”  
“What Nosos meant is that there is a bond we share, the Keres and Thanatos. If one of us is gone, death stops,” Anaplekte said from behind Nosos.  
Hades and I glanced at each other worriedly.  
“We’ve heard rumors of a place where death can no longer reach, even despite the war and famine and winter. I think Thanatos may have been taken.”  
“Minos!” Hades yelled, her voice like thunder.  
Minos appeared in front of our guests. The Keres recoiled. “Yes, Hades? Why did you summon…” He trailed off as he saw all of us. “What’s going on?”  
“What was the last assignment Thanatos was sent on?”  
“Ah, I think I remember something about this. It was strange, sudden, if I remember correctly.” A scroll appeared in Minos’ hand and he read quickly, not bothering to waste time. “No wonder it took priority. It was a request from Zeus himself.”  
I paled, but Hades’ hand brushed across mine.  
Markos continued reading. “Thanatos was sent to imprison a mortal man and take him to Tartarus directly.”  
“Who?” Hades demanded.  
“King Sisyphus, of Ephyra.”


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chthonic deities travel to the mortal world to rescue Thanatos.

Hades transformed before my very eyes, from a worried friend to wise, calculating ruler. Her posture straightened and she seemed to grow taller, bigger, under her armor. She thought for only a moment before speaking again. “Hypnos, go tell your mother. Nosos, Anaplekte, come with me.”  
I followed Hades even though she didn’t say anything to me. The four of us wove through the castle, not stopping when Daeira found us. She fell into place beside me and whispered, “What’s going on? I heard yelling.”  
“We think Thanatos has been taken while on an assignment to the mortal world.”  
Daeira gasped. “What? How could that even happen?”  
I shook my head. “I don’t know.”  
“Are you going to rescue him?”  
In front of us, Hades spoke. “I’m going to rescue him with Anaplekte and Nosos.”  
I grabbed her wrist and stopped her. “I am not going to wait here with Daeira while my soon-to-be wife goes to the mortal world to save one of my friends. I refuse to be that person.”  
Hades jerked her arm away. “Persephone, it’s more unsafe for you than it is for me. You risking yourself is unwise. Stay here.”  
“No,” I said firmly. “I will go with or without your permission. I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again. It is only a courtesy that I’m informing you.”  
Daeira and the Keres were silent as Hades whirled on me, eyes wide. “You’ve done what?”  
“None of your damn business, Hades,” I spat. “Take me with you and I promise to wear your helm and not take it off. They’ll never know I’m with you, if your helm works like you’ve previously told me.”  
Hades sighed unhappily. “I don’t have time for this. Fine, come.”  
We exited the palace and headed towards the horses. Hecate was waiting for us at the stables, wringing her hands with worry. “What do you need me to do, Hades?”  
“What have you seen? Was Thanatos taken by the gods? Is it war?”  
“I haven’t checked, yet. You know I dislike using that particular gift.” Hecate ran her hands over her arms quickly. “But this is certainly the time for it. Very well.”  
Hades opened the door and the torches sprang to life. “No apples today, my friends, but we’ll be going to the mortal world.”  
I watched Hecate with great interest. Other than using chthonic powers to control torches or for transportation, I had never seen her gifts, which were rumored to be vast, powerful, and terrifying. She began to chant something under her breath, her voice taking on an eerie quality as it seemed to split and echo, and then previously hidden tattoos started to glow blue beneath her skin, runes in languages I’ve never seen trailing up her arms and disappearing into her peplos. I felt the power rise in her, like white flames, scalding and all-consuming. Her eyes turned bone white, irises and veins erased, and her head fell back, her body freezing. Her chest didn’t rise or fall with breath. The Keres watched uneasily, unsure if they should hold her or not.  
Unphased, Hades started to ready her chariot. The horses stamped impatiently, eager for the exercise, as she attached them to it. “I fear the worst. If it’s war, we will not be going alone. A strike against my inner circle is a strike against me, personally.”  
Daeira stood off to the side, eyes impossibly wide with worry. “Please, be safe.”  
“I will.”  
“And I’ll make sure of it.” Hades appeared beside me, placing her helm in my hands. “Please, Persephone. Keep this on at all times. Keep this promise. Should anything happen to you… I’ll never forgive myself.”  
“Nothing will.”  
Hecate gasped suddenly, pulling out of her trance, which made us all jump in surprise. Hades stepped forward swiftly and caught Hecate before she collapsed. “He’s in Ephyra. It’s clouded, but… It wasn’t a plot from Zeus. It was the king there.”  
We all let out a collective breath.  
“How could a mortal man keep Thanatos captive?” I asked incredulously. “If I wasn’t so worried about him, I’d laugh.”  
Hecate, already pale, now looked almost like Daeira. The runes faded away as she breathed heavily and Hades stroked her hair to comfort her. “Thanatos must have brought the chains of Tartarus with him when he went to capture the king. I think that was what I saw in my vision. Beware, the mortal is certainly smarter than he looks.”  
Hades looked to Daeira. “Take Hecate back to the palace. She needs to rest.” Her gaze turned to the Keres. “I’ll meet you in Ephyra.”  
Daeira helped Hecate to her feet and left without another word, following the Keres. Hades stepped into the chariot, taking the reins, and offered me a hand.  
Shifting the helm to the other hand, I took hers. The heavy cloaks we wore into Tartarus appeared around us.  
“I hear it’s been a little cold as of late,” she murmured as she ran a hand through my hair and quickly kissed my cheek. “Put the helm on now. I don’t want anyone sensing your presence when we arrive in the mortal world.”  
I did as I was asked.  
“And, my love, please hold onto me. I don’t want you to fall and get lost in the Erebus,” she said quickly, and then sighed when she felt my arms encircle her waist, over her armor.  
Without another word, she flicked the reins and the horses jerked forward, pulling us out of the stables and into the wide expanse of the Underworld. As they gained speed, their hooves like thunder across the lifeless dirt, the Underworld seemed to blur and fade away, replaced with only darkness.  
High winds whipped my face and I was glad that the helmet kept most of my hair at bay. I tried my voice, which was ripped away by the wind, so I had to yell to be heard. “Is this the Erebus?”  
“It is!”  
I thought the Erebus might be a little frightening, but after what I had seen in Tartarus, a cold void of only misery, this felt like a summer day. The darkness was only darkness, not intimidating or secretive. I relaxed, slightly.  
“We’re almost there, Persephone. Remember, do not take off the helm, stick behind me, try not to make any sounds. If we get separated, please, go home immediately, since you somehow already know how to travel between realms. We’ll talk about that later.”  
“We’ll do no such thing!” I yelled into her ear. “It happened ages ago, only once. I’ve been careful since then. I’m not daft.”  
Above us, the darkness was permeated by a small fissure of light. It grew as we neared and then we emerged in the mortal world, a vision of featureless white. I was blinded, even more so than when we returned from Tartarus. Besides the blinding, I felt my mostly dormant power over life rush up and overwhelm me and my head swam painfully. Hades didn’t appear to be phased as she drove the horses further across what felt like fairly even land. When my vision came back to me, I saw the sun was starting to dip below the horizon and the world had been made brighter due to all the snow.  
Hairs that started to slip out of Hades’ ornate braids shone blue in the light, but I surveyed the white, still world around us. The ground was flat, but countless snow covered mounds dotted the landscape.  
“What are they?” I asked quietly, no longer having to yell, my breath clouding in the air.  
“The dead,” Hades said without taking her eyes away from the road we were on. A city appeared in the distance, stone walls peeking up out of the horizon.  
I looked down. “I didn’t know it was this bad.”  
“They die so quickly, there’s nothing to do but leave them where they are, or perhaps there’s no one alive left to care,” she murmured. “Remember, this is your father’s doing, not yours. You have done nothing wrong.”  
I trained my gaze on the approaching city. “Why did Thanatos have to retrieve this man personally? He’s not dead, clearly. Is this a normal occurrence?”  
Hades shook her head. “No, it’s not. Either Thanatos would kill him and take his soul, or Thanatos would just take Sisyphus, body and all. He would be tortured in Tartarus until he died and would continue for the rest of time.”  
“Who is Sisyphus? What has he done?”  
“I’ve heard rumors about him, about typical mortal hubris, amongst other things. I knew it was only a matter of time.”  
“Why didn’t you do anything about it?”  
“I only receive them, my love. I don’t retrieve them. I’m a patient woman, and they all come to me eventually.” I kissed the back of her neck and she shivered, but not from the cold.  
Dusk was settling like a heavy blanket over the land when we neared the gates of Ephyra. Our horses seemed to be able to move a lot faster than average horses, but I hadn’t expected them to be normal. They were made of shadow and flame, spawns of Poseidon, steeds fit for a divine king.  
“So, what has Sisyphus done that you know of?”  
“He is smart… much smarter than he should be, but too stupid to realize he should not say things like being smarter than the gods.” She shook her head slowly and chuckled. “Thanatos shouldn’t have come alone.”  
“How could anyone be smarter than Athena? She practically knows everything. It’s unsettling. I couldn’t keep anything from her as a child.”  
“Metis was like that, but that was a very long time ago.” Hades paused, shaking her head. “Sisyphus has been known to use his intelligence to trick people, to gain power and wealth. Do you remember Salmoneus? The Zeus impostor?”  
“Yes, of course.”  
“Sisyphus is his brother, but I don’t believe they were on very good terms. I think they tried to kill each other, but Zeus was the one to finish off Salmoneus. I can’t imagine Sisyphus was all too pleased about that.” Hades slowed the horses when we were in sight of the city gates and stopped, helping me down from the chariot. “Stay close behind me, please.”  
I felt my power immediately sink to my feet, flowing out into the ground below me. I felt the dormant plant roots and bulbs, dying from the prolonged and deep cold. I felt death all around me as I reconnected to a part of me that I had all but buried in the Underworld. The snow melted around my feet, and green shoots sprang up around me. My power flowed out of me in painful, overwhelming waves and I had to grab onto Hades’ cloak to steady myself. She bit her lip worriedly, unsure of what to ask, and said nothing.  
I took a shuddering breath and straightened myself, wincing. “My power… I wasn’t prepared.”  
Hades’ brow furrowed and she cursed to herself. “I didn’t think about that. Will you be alright? Should you return home?”  
I plastered on a smile, but the pain was already lessening as I regained control measure by measure. “I can handle it.”  
Forms dropped from the sky and the Keres landed near us, great black wings outstretched. Both of them were wrapped in many furs.  
Anaplekte ran a hand over her dark blonde hair, wiping away snowflakes and ice. “We’ve been circling the city. It doesn’t look good, but I think Thanatos is being kept in the palace.”  
“And we have a problem,” Nosos added and then her gaze sharpened. “Is the queen still with you?”  
Hades nodded and pointed to wear the snow was melting around my feet. “What sort of problem?”  
“Ares arrived only minutes ago.”  
I stilled as Hades swore. “What? Why is he here?”  
“We don’t know. He doesn’t seem very happy, though.”  
“We stayed out of sight and high enough above that he wouldn’t sense us.”  
Hades jerked her chin to the gates. “Come, let’s not waste any time. He could be an agent of Zeus, trying to take advantage of the situation.”  
She moved onto the road and I followed, the Keres flanking us, hands on the swords at their hips. When we walked close enough to be able to see details of the city wall and its gate, Hades stopped and hissed. The gate itself had been broken in, the wood splintered and littering the path, but that wasn’t what made Hades hiss. It was all the bodies strung up or impaled on spikes, decorating the city wall. Some had their limbs missing, some their skin, some their eyes and tongues, and carrion birds were picking at the remnants of them.  
“I heard Sisyphus violated xenia… but this? He is vile.”  
“Xenia?” I whispered as we passed into the city.  
“Common hospitality and etiquette to travelers and guests of the king,” Hades explained quickly. “It’s something that falls under Zeus’ domain and to violate it like this? Torturing guests and using their bodies to send a message? This might be why Thanatos was sent himself.”  
“I heard Sisyphus revealed the location of some nymph Zeus had taken to her father so the god would grant him something,” Nosos murmured.  
Anaplekte chuckled. “Perhaps that was it. We all know the wrath that ensues when a lover is prematurely taken from Zeus.”  
I said nothing, but Nosos shot her a dark look, and she looked away.  
The city was quiet, even if it was close to nightfall. I hadn’t been to many human cities, but they were never like this. I saw no people, bodies or otherwise, no movement save for the circling carrion birds, no noise other than the wind and the sound of our sandals on the dirt.  
What had Ares done?  
When we reached the main square in the center of town, my silent question was answered. Even after seeing Tartarus, I felt like I was going to be sick.  
“Gods…” Nosos whispered.  
“These were innocent humans. Ares should know better than this.” Anaplekte spat.  
Hades said nothing at all.  
The Keres and Hades had seen death many times, but this was not death.  
It should have been, but it wasn’t.  
The bodies of humans were littered in the square in front of the palace. In the low light, blood painted everything black. The humans were missing limbs, sliced cleanly through with a honed blade, or were disemboweled, organs spilling out of their abdomens, or even beheaded, white spines glistening in the midst of torn flesh and shredded muscle.  
None of them were actually dead, but that didn’t stop the ever growing number of carrion birds from pecking at the bodies.  
Faint moans of agony and struggled breathing echoed through the stone city as the four of us stood absolutely still amidst the horror. I watched as a human who was missing his legs dragged himself toward us and leaned out to touch Hades’ ankle, tears running into the bloodied gash across his face that had ruined his left eye as he whispered, “please… help me…”  
“We will.” Hades tore away from his grasp, flaming eyes set on the palace. As I followed, careful to stay out of reach of any wandering hands, regardless if I was invisible or not, I heard Hades chant under her breath, “death is mercy, death is kindness” over and over again as we climbed the steps.  
The doors to the palace were unguarded and also thrown open. Braziers had been tipped over, the embers still glowing on the marble floor.  
“Anaplekte, guard the door. Make sure Sisyphus doesn’t escape, or Ares with Thanatos.”  
She nodded and remained behind as we entered, but the palace soon split into two major hallways. Hades nodded for Nosos to go to the left and she went to the right, not bothering to address me, knowing I was right behind her. The palace was just as eerily silent as the city had been, and far darker. Torches had not been lit and windows were sparse. I started to wonder if she had chosen the wrong direction, but then we found a torn tapestry, another tipped brazier, and a third broken door. Hades nudged it open cautiously and stilled.  
I peered around her.  
It appeared to be a throne room of sorts, and strung up at the end of the room, above the empty throne, was Thanatos and Ares. They were dressed in the same heavy, golden chains that kept the Titans imprisoned. Ares was struggling, his brown hair damp with sweat, and Thanatos was as pale as death, pierced by a sword and two arrows. He inhaled painfully and his wings shuddered.  
Hades approached quickly, the sounds of her steps causing Ares to snap his head up. “Hades? What are you doing here? Come to rescue us?”  
“What are you doing here?” she whispered. “How did you get caught by a mortal?”  
“I came to see why no one was able to die on my battlefields and found him,” Ares jerked his chin to the unconscious Thanatos. “I didn’t expect this.”  
“Clearly,” she muttered, approaching the throne and trying to figure out how to get them both down. “You were not sent by Zeus?”  
“No.”  
“Where is Sisyphus?”  
“I don’t know.”  
Hades had forgotten her caution when she saw the image of her friend impaled and in pain, but I didn’t. I hung back, silent so Ares would think Hades was alone, and surveyed the room. Sisyphus, a supposedly hubristic mortal, had just managed to capture two gods. Where was he? Why wasn’t he here with them, basking in the glory of his trickery?  
Hades stood on the throne and tried to work at the chains, cursing while Ares complained about the chains pinching his skin. I caught movement out of the corner of my eye, a familiar glint of metal as it was silently raised.  
Hades was in a compromising position and would not be able to react quickly enough if I shouted. When the blade moved, I acted on impulse, pushing Hades out of the way and blocking the blow with my sword. The sound of grinding metal filled the room as I was brought face to face with Sisyphus.  
He looked altogether unremarkable, with a graying beard and graying temples. His brown eyes widened as I blocked him. “What sorcery is this?”  
He slashed in my direction blindly and I was able to step out of the way. I had forgotten I was invisible. He slashed again and I was forced to block, narrowly avoiding a sword to my shoulder. I grunted at the impact and nearly fell backwards.  
“Whatever sort of daimon you are, it doesn’t matter. I have bested men, and I have bested gods.” He stalked forward, eyes darting to and fro.  
The cloak was hindering my movements. I tore it away and threw off the helm, revealing myself to the room. “But have you bested a goddess?”  
Behind me, Hades whispered, “Persephone, no!”  
Sisyphus stopped, and laughed. “A woman? This is practically an insult to me.”  
I ignored his comments. “Get them down, Hades.”  
Sisyphus lunged in her direction. I blocked his path, nearly slicing off his hand with my sword. He spun, forced to face me instead. “You will not take them from me! They are mine! They are proof that I am better than gods.”  
“You are just a man, Sisyphus. If you were better than the gods, why would you need our tools to capture us?” I grinned, circling around him, watching his movements as I had been taught to. “Aren’t you wise enough to make your own? You couldn’t even achieve immortality by yourself! You had to kidnap one of the death gods for a temporary solution.”  
He screamed and lunged at me, his form sloppy from his anger. “You know nothing, whore.”  
It was easily blocked and sidestepped. “You should watch how you talk to your future queen, Sisyphus.” I glanced up to see Hades finally loosening the chains from around Thanatos. I was stalling Sisyphus, drawing him away from her. “I wonder what punishments in Tartarus I could inflict on you. I wonder how easily you’d break. I bet it wouldn’t be very long. Your kind are so fragile, body,” I feinted left and lunged right, my sword hitting its mark in his side, “and mind.”  
He hissed in pain, holding his free hand over the wound, but his eyes were blazing with hatred. He certainly did not like being bested by a woman.  
“We sentenced your brother to Tartarus, did you know? Perhaps we could put you with him. I know how much you’d like his company.”  
He swung at me with brute force and I was barely able to block it, his blade nearly striking me directly in the face, the blow reverberating painfully in my arms. I blinked and threw him off me.  
“Do you know what they call me in Tartarus?” I paused, pretending to think. “Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter. You’ll find out for yourself soon enough.”  
Sisyphus growled. “This is pointless. You can’t die, I can’t die. If you leave now, I’ll let you take the other bitch with you. Leave me my prizes.”  
Petty insults towards me were one thing, but to Hades was another. “Do not call her that.”  
Behind him, Hades continued to work the chains, but paused to remove the sword and arrows that had pierced Thanatos. He groaned, but didn’t stir. Sisyphus looked behind him to find the source of the noise and I approached him.  
“You will not escape tonight, Sisyphus.”  
Hades finally managed to slip Thanatos from the chains and he collapsed into her arms. Sisyphus glanced back again and growled. “No!”  
He started to lunge toward them and I couldn’t reach him on time. Hades managed to hold Thanatos with her left arm and block Sisyphus’ sword with the sword she somehow pulled into her right hand at the last moment. She threw him back to me and I grabbed the back of his armor and flung him onto his back. His sword clattered away as he floundered helplessly on the floor in front of me. I stalked closer, savoring the fear in his eyes as I neared, step by step.  
“I will not beg from a consort, a filthy whore, lower than trash…” My foot stepped on his throat and his face turned red as he struggled to breathe, clawing at my leg for air. I barely felt his nails, but I sliced both of his hands off regardless. I removed my foot so he could scream as his blood spurted onto the both of us.  
“What is that god awful noise?”  
“Thanatos?” I looked and saw that Thanatos was healing and pulling himself away from Hades. “And the god awful noise is my retribution.”  
“I’m being rescued from my torment by two beautiful women?” He looked around, confused. “Have I died and been sent to Elysium?”  
Hades rolled her eyes, then looked to the floor beside me. I looked down and saw Sisyphus was trying to crawl away. I laughed at the pitiful sight and drove my sword through his chest, effectively pinning him to the ground. He screamed again, then went slack.  
“He can’t die yet, you know,” she remarked.  
“I know,” I said, a slow grin spreading across my face. “I did it for pleasure. Hurting my friend, insulting my soon-to-be wife…”  
“And capturing your brother!” Ares added, still in chains and suspended above us. He shook them for emphasis. “Is anyone going to help me down?”  
Hades arched an eyebrow. “That depends.”  
He stilled. “On what?”  
“How trustworthy is he, Persephone?”  
“Ares?” I asked. “Not very.”  
“Hmmm…” Hades murmured. “I’m sure Ares is well aware of the Persephone situation, and is probably under orders to report and capture her should he ever come across her, which is very, very unfortunate, because if he would try to take her, we would have no choice but to leave him here in chains until some other god happens to investigate and frees him. However, if Ares did not see Persephone at all in his time in Ephyra, nor tries to abduct her, I would be more than happy to free him myself and save him from what would most likely be weeks of imprisonment.”  
Ares was not as stupid as he looked. “I never saw Persephone. I will not touch her. I swear on the Styx.”  
Nosos ran into the room, sword raised and ready. “I heard screaming…” She trailed off as she surveyed the room. “It looks like I missed all the fun. What a shame.”  
“Nosos?” Thanatos asked, standing and stretching his limbs, still healing. “What are you doing here?”  
“I’m part of the rescue party. Anaplekte is standing guard outside.” Nosos sheathed her sword and looked up at Ares. “I’m sorry but that is just pathetic.”  
“Shut up,” Ares hissed.  
Hades pulled on the chains and he came crashing down to the floor. “Leave or my good graces will.” She snapped her fingers and the chains disappeared.  
Ares glared at her when he pulled himself up, but walked to the door, pausing to step on Sisyphus’ leg and crush his femur. “I never expected that of you, sister. I’m amazed. I sensed a bit of bloodlust for a moment there.”  
“I’m different now.” My reply was clipped, tense.  
“I suppose so,” he said, looking me over, probably noticing the armor and the blood. “Best of luck.” He left without another word.  
Hades watched him leave with narrowed eyes, but walked over and picked up her helm and my cloak from where I had tossed them. “I’m still not sure we can trust him. We should leave immediately.”  
“Agreed. I’ve had enough of this place,” Thanatos said, glaring at the unconscious Sisyphus. “Seriously, Persephone, I know I was unconscious for most of that, but that was incredible. I’m even more terrified of you now.”  
I laughed. “Thank you. I’m just glad you’re okay.”  
He came to stand beside me and leer over Sisyphus. “He was a real bastard. Always talking, always bragging. I was slowly being driven to madness.” He bent down and touched Sisyphus’ body, which seized and went still, life finally leaving him.  
“I’m sorry,” I murmured, finally realizing that I had just killed someone for the first time. “We didn’t know. We would have come sooner if we had.”  
“You know what would make it even better?” His smile was sly.  
“What?” I asked cautiously.  
“A kiss from my beautiful savior.” He looked over at me and batted his eyelashes dramatically.  
“Well, I guess the circumstance is rare and I am feeling a bit generous,” I laughed, glancing at Hades, who was smiling, and said, “just this once.”  
“What?” Thanatos blinked, clearly not expecting me to finally oblige him. “Really?”  
I pulled him down by the torn fabric of his chiton and kissed him on the mouth. I pulled away just as quickly, the feeling of the stubble spread across his chin something I was completely unused to. Thanatos smiled dreamily, placing his hand over his heart. “I really have died and gone to Elysium.”  
Hades rolled her eyes again. “You have a worried Daeira waiting for you at the palace, you rake. Your family is worried about you, too.” She came over to kiss me on the cheek. “I’m so proud of you.”  
“Thank you for letting me do that, for trusting me.” I pulled the sword out of the corpse and sheathed it quickly.  
Hades handed me the helm and my cloak. “You broke your promise, and I’m glad you did, but it’s time to put these back on so we can go home.”  
I did as I was asked without complaint. I was too tired for it. It had been evening when we left the Underworld, and the journey here and then my battle had exhilarated me to the point of being able to ignore it, but now I was exhausted. Thanatos followed Nosos out, and I held Hades’ hand as we followed them. The palace no longer felt eerie, the moon had risen and its light illuminated the building. I realized it had been a very long time since I had seen moonlight, since my accidental visit with Athena.  
Anaplekte stood at the front door, arms crossed. “Ares just left. He said you would let him go if he didn’t say anything about Persephone. I didn’t see anyone with him, so…”  
Hades nodded. “We’re going home.”  
“I’m afraid Anaplekte and I have a lot of work to do,” Nosos said, looking over the square, which was still full of near corpses. “Thanatos can return home and rest, but we expect you back soon. This is your mess, after all.”  
Thanatos rolled his eyes. “I didn’t choose to come and try to get Sisyphus in the first place, if that’s what you mean.”  
“You’re the one who got caught in your own chains!”  
He sighed heavily. “I’ll never live this down.”  
I chuckled. “Probably not.”  
Nosos and Anaplekte nodded to Hades and the spot where I was standing beside her. “We’ll see you at the wedding.” They alighted and we watched them fly into the city.  
“I’ll see you both at home. I need to sleep for three days straight, at least. I’ll get Hypnos to help me with that.” He laughed, then quieted. “Thank you, for this. Especially you, Persephone. You risked yourself by coming here for me.”  
“Nonsense. You’re family, after all. I couldn’t stay behind.”  
“She even threatened to go by herself, if I remember correctly,” Hades added, squeezing my hand.  
“So brave and it was all for me!” Thanatos pretended to swoon. “You aren’t married yet, right? I’d beg you on my knees to have me!”  
I rolled my eyes even though he couldn’t see it.  
“I’ll take your silence as a no. Now, I must cry myself to sleep.” Thanatos stretched and shook out his wings.  
“Shush!” I laughed. “I kissed you. Go brag about it to your brother.”  
His eyes lit up and he grinned, then flew into the air after his sisters.  
“I’m exhausted,” I whispered into Hades’ ear, resting my chin on her shoulder.  
“It’s been a trying day, to say the least. Come on,” she pulled me down the steps into the square. “I’m sorry you had to see this.”  
“I can handle it. I did handle it.”  
Hades waved her free hand and one by one, the mortals fell silent, dead. We walked out of the square without looking back. “Now, their suffering is over.”  
“How did you do that? You’re not a death deity.”  
“No, but I’m close enough. I am the god of the dead. They all should have been dead the moment Ares tore through here, and my power can extend to the near dead, if I choose. I usually don’t.”  
“You could have ended Sisyphus, then, before Thanatos did,” I remarked, pulling my cloak around me tighter as the wind picked up. Sisyphus’ blood, still wet across my legs, turned icy.  
“Yes, but it was Thanatos’ death to take,” Hades said softly, then she smiled. “Besides, you seemed to be having fun.”  
“I was.” I stared straight ahead as we walked out of the city gates so I wouldn’t have to look at the decaying corpses, but I could still hear the carrion birds’ wings flutter and faint tearing sounds as they ripped off pieces of flesh to eat. It inevitably reminded me of Tityos’ punishment in Tartarus. I was glad to leave Ephyra behind me.  
The chariot and the horses were right where we left them and Hades did not waste any time lifting and depositing me in it, even though she was well aware I didn’t need any help to climb into it. She took the reins and flicked them.  
I placed my hand over hers. “Hades, as much as I love them, I just want to go to sleep immediately and not waste any time.”  
She arched an eyebrow. “Oh?”  
I summoned my power and thought of the palace, and then we were there, horses, chariot, and all. I stepped down and took off the helm, shaking my hair out and stretching my limbs, glad to be back in the warmth of the Underworld. Hades didn’t say anything and I turned to look at her, wondering what she was waiting for.  
I found her staring at me, eyes wide.  
“What?”  
“How did you do that?”  
“It’s just like how we travel around here,” I shrugged. “Are you telling me you can’t do that?”  
Hades stepped down. “None of us can. Our chthonic power is severely limited when we are in other realms, certainly not present enough to be able to travel back and forth at will.” She touched my face gently, “You are so powerful, Persephone, and you always continue to amaze me.”  
I blushed. “That was how I went to the mortal world that one time. It was purely accidental. I had thought of Athena while I was trying to travel, and it took me to one of her battlefields.”  
“Incredibly dangerous,” she said as she patted the flank of one of the horses. “Go back to the stables. I’ll have Markos take care of you, and maybe bring you a treat.”  
“An accident!” I reminded her as I followed her up the path to the palace. “And it takes a lot more energy than it does here. I was exhausted afterwards, so I need sleep immediately.”  
Hades opened the door and glanced back at me. “I’d recommend a bath first, or you’d ruin the sheets.”  
I stepped into the palace and a figure launched themselves at me. I jerked back before I realized it was Alecto. She grabbed my face in her hands, inspecting me for injury. “Gods, I heard what happened! You took her to the mortal world?” She shot the question at Hades.  
Hades narrowed her eyes. “She left me no choice.”  
“I could have helped.” Alecto finally released my face and inspected the rest of me with a raised eyebrow. “Nice armor, the blood is a really nice touch. You look like one of the Erinyes! I’m so proud!”  
I laughed. “Thank you, Alecto, but we had two of the Keres already here, and we didn’t want to waste any time.”  
“Did you get Thanatos? Did you fight the mortal? What happened?”  
Hades managed to relax and she said, “I have some things to attend to, I’ll see you later, Persephone.”  
“Markos is going to love having to clean the floor,” I grinned after her and heard her laugh as she disappeared into one of the many hallways. I took Alecto by the hand. “Come on, let’s go to my rooms. I am in dire need of a bath.”  
“So what really happened? I just heard that Thanatos had been captured in the mortal world, and Hades went to rescue him. I came here for you, but then Daeira and Hecate told me you must have left with her.”  
“Is Hecate still here?”  
“No, she went home. She didn’t look very good, for an immortal goddess, that is.”  
“She did some sort of ritual to see what had happened to Thanatos and it wore her out. I’ve never seen it happen before. And Daeira, where is she?”  
“Asleep. It’s very late,” she answered quickly, and as we passed over a covered bridge, I saw the sun starting to rise. It really was late. “So what really happened? You haven’t told me yet!”  
“Alecto!” I laughed. “You’ve been asking so many questions I can’t keep up.”  
“I’ll shut my mouth, then.”  
We reached my room and I started to run a hot bath. Alecto approached me, hands outreached, “Here, I can help you with…”  
I realized she meant my armor and I waved it away. “No need.” The armor disappeared to reveal the simple black peplos I had been wearing earlier that day.  
Alecto’s eyes widened. “A present from Hecate and Hades, I assume?”  
I nodded and started to disrobe, removing my belt and the fibulae, and watched Alecto look away. The fabric fell to the floor and I hopped into the bath. The low light of the bathroom darkened the water to near opaque and Alecto came to sit on the edge to talk to me.  
I recanted what had happened, starting with Hypnos approaching us as we left the Hall and getting to the part where we had left the Underworld before Alecto interrupted me.  
“So, Thanatos got captured by a mortal man by his own chains? His own twin brother didn’t even realize he was missing?” Alecto laughed and shook her head. “Those two, I swear.”  
I agreed, and told her about Ephyra, about how no one could die, not even the people Ares had easily decimated.  
“Ares was there? What was he doing?”  
“I guess he was angry that a war near Ephyra had turned into a stalemate, since neither side could die. He came to investigate and also got caught.” I scrubbed soap across my skin, washing away the smell of death and decay, and Sisyphus’ blood.  
“He was captured, too?” Alecto threw her head back and laughed again. “These male gods, I swear.”  
I told her about splitting up with the Keres and how Hades and I had found Ares and Thanatos in chains, then how I had fought Sisyphus while Hades freed Thanatos.  
“You fought him by yourself? Were you injured at all?”  
“No, I wasn’t, but he was. I severed his hands from his arms and pinned him to the ground with my sword, so he wouldn’t escape.”  
“So vicious!” Alecto grinned. “I love it. I see all the training has served you well.”  
I finished my account of the day, not much else to say other than letting Ares free and leaving, but then I quieted. “Alecto, I…”  
“Yes?”  
“I just killed someone. I’ve never…”  
Alecto’s expression softened, only slightly. “And how do you feel about that?”  
“I don’t know. Shouldn’t I feel bad?”  
“Should you?”  
“He was supposed to die anyway, he hurt my friend, insulted me and Hades… I feel good, like it was proper justice, but I feel guilty that I do feel good.”  
“Don’t feel guilty, then. As you said, he was already supposed to die, by your hand or someone else’s. You should only follow your own moral compass, if you believe in that sort of thing. You don’t need to feel guilty. Mortals die. It’s just how it is, and he was certainly deserving.” She reached out and touched a damp lock of my hair. “Women are expected to shy from violence, to fear strength, but we don’t have to. You can be as violent and cruel and ambitious as you’d like. You’re the queen of the dead, not a flower maiden that would be expected to be fearful. Besides, I doubt you’d want to feel guilt for anything.”  
“I suppose not,” I mused, trying not to blush. Being an actual queen still seemed like a distant dream, not something that was nearly happening, and Alecto’s acknowledgement of it was a tense reminder. “Does that make me a monster?”  
“A beautiful one,” she said, very seriously, and I splashed her with water. She sprang backwards to avoid the droplets with ease. “Honestly, I doubt it,” she shrugged and continued, “but I’d still be your friend if you were. I don’t feel any guilt, so we could be monsters together.”  
I laughed, skimming my hands across the water, and yawned. “I’m glad you came here today, to see if I was okay.”  
“Of course I did. I almost went to the mortal world, too.”  
“I don’t need a rescuer, Alecto.”  
“I know you don’t. I only wanted to be an accomplice to whatever mischief you were stirring up.”  
“So confident in my abilities! Such a faithful companion you are, so, I have a task for you.”  
“And what would that be?”  
“Could you hand me that towel?” I pointed to it. She laughed and retrieved it for me, stepping into my bedroom as I dried off. When I emerged, I saw that she was drinking wine, and filled it up to the brim of the goblet.  
“What?” she asked when she noticed me watching her. “You drink all of my wine. It’s only fair.”  
“Drink all you want. I’m pretty sure there’s no limit to the depths of Hades’ wine cellar, wherever it may be.” I thought for a moment. “Honestly, I don’t have any idea where she does keep the wine. I should find out. But,” I said as I finally let myself collapse onto my bed, “that’ll be a question for tomorrow. If I don’t fall asleep within a few minutes, I may actually die and become a wraith.”  
Alecto downed the rest of the wine in a few impressive gulps and crossed the room to kiss me on the cheek. “I should be going anyways. I’ll see you soon.”  
Once she was gone, I flung the towel onto the floor beside the bed and slipped in between the sheets, completely nude. I wondered where Hades was, if she really had something to do or just said she did to give us privacy, but it had been a long time since I slept alone. The size of the bed felt so much larger and colder without her in it. The warmth of the fireplace and the residual warmth of the bath called me to sleep.  
I had very nearly surrendered when I felt Hades slide up beside me.  
“There you are,” I murmured.  
“Here I am,” she answered softly, kissing my shoulder. “You were magnificent today, Persephone. I am honored to be your wife.”  
“Not yet,” I replied, a slow and sleepy smile spreading across my face.  
“No,” she agreed, “but soon, very soon.”


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sisyphus' soul arrives to be judged in the Underworld and Persephone seeks advice.

I practically squealed in delight and rocked back in my throne as Minos called out and summoned the next soul. When Sisyphus appeared below us, I leaned forward to leer down at him, inspecting his appearance. “Looks like death gave you back your hands. What a shame.”  
His now colorless eyes turned to slits. “You.”  
“I was wondering when we’d get to see you, but alas, mortal kings must wait like everyone else. Death is a great equalizer, isn’t it?” I directed the question to Hades, who glanced over all the jewelry I was wearing to make a point. “Well, excluding us, of course.”  
It had been a few days since we returned from Ephyra, the first day spent almost completely sleeping, and the following days filled with more wedding planning and visiting Nyx and Thanatos, who was back to excellent health and usual level of obnoxiousness. He eventually did tell Hypnos that I kissed him and the look on Hypnos’ face when I confirmed it will be something I will remember, and cherish, forever. Daeira, however, didn’t look terribly pleased, but she was acutely aware it meant nothing to me.  
“Well, boys,” I started, leaning back in my throne and crossing my legs under my peplos. “We know where this one is going already. He called me a whore.”  
The judges shuffled nervously in their seats, unsure of how to respond, but Hades cut a glance to me. “You can’t just send people to Tartarus for calling you names, my love.”  
“Unfortunately,” I muttered, “but I can add it to the list of reasons to send him to Tartarus. He called you a name, too, and I defended your honor.” I grinned like a wolf.  
“Ah, yes, my honor. I was so wounded.” Hades rolled her eyes. “Well, I’m sure Persephone’s curiosity is killing her, since she had been asking me all kinds of questions before, so let’s hear his qualifications for Tartarus, Aeacus.”  
Aeacus took a few moments to read over the list before he read it aloud to us. “Conspiracy for fratricide. He went to an oracle to find out how to kill Salmoneus without having any dire consequences.”  
Hades and I shared a look of confusion. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure the rules about killing family members are fairly airtight.”  
“They are,” Hades agreed. “If the oracle did give you any ideas, she was lying, I assure you.”  
“Not for gods,” Sisyphus spat.  
I rolled my eyes. “Not this one, too,”  
“Well,” Hades said lightly, “that may be true, but you’re not a god, Sisyphus. You’re just a dead mortal. I’d appreciate it if you stayed silent while Aeacus finishes. We can and will silence you forcefully, if necessary.”  
Aeacus cleared his throat and continued. “One of the many attempts on Salmoneus’ life included Sisyphus seducing and marrying Tyro, Salmoneus’ daughter. The children with her were prophesied to kill Salmoneus and when Tyro discovered that, she killed them to prevent it from happening.”  
Hades and I shared yet another look.  
“Isn’t… marrying within families forbidden for the humans? Taboo? Don’t the offspring come out malformed?” I asked, whispering to Hades, who nodded in response, looking fairly disturbed.  
This was another thing I didn’t understand. It was normal for gods--necessary, even--to marry family members. The mortals were impossibly vast and varied, having many choices, and something about their unions with family members made their offspring sickly, deformed, or resulted in even stillborns. The gods, on the other hand, all came from Chaos and our unions always produce perfect children.  
Below us, Aeacus kept speaking. “He also liked to violate xenia often. He tricked travelers and guests to come to his city and share their wealth, then killing and mutilating them before they could leave.”  
“Yes,” Hades waved her hand. “We had the pleasure of seeing evidence of that ourselves. I suppose it’s fitting that Ares slew all of his citizens.”  
Sisyphus opened his mouth and I raised my hand and used my power to prevent him from speaking. I always did enjoy gagging the argumentative souls that tried to be talkative. I love how they struggled, grabbing their throats, bulging their eyes from the force of trying to scream. Sisyphus, however, did not give me the enjoyment of fighting the gag, much to my disappointment.  
“And,” Aeacus added, “Zeus took a lover named Aegina right from under her father’s nose and hid her. Sisyphus told Asopus where she was so Asopus would make a spring flow in the acropolis.”  
“The Ker mentioned something about that,” Hades murmured and then spoke louder. “And he captured and tortured Thanatos to prevent his own death, as well as Ares. He insulted both Persephone and myself, and tried to physically attack us.”  
“His guilt is overwhelmingly clear,” Minos said. “I hope the both of you had fun with him in Ephyra.”  
“Persephone certainly did. She killed him.”  
I grinned as the judges turned to look up at me, their shock evident.  
“Did I hear something about hands?” Rhadamanthus asked.  
“He was trying to scratch me, towards the end, so I cut them off.”  
Minos clapped. “I do like a proactive leader.”  
I flushed with pleasure at his compliment. “So, what shall we do with him in Tartarus? I bet tossing him in with Salmoneus would be punishment enough for him, but it would be… lacking. I’m feeling something more… tedious, physical, demeaning…” My head swam with all the possibilities.  
“I’ll default to your judgement, my love,” Hades said proudly.  
I thought about some of the menial tasks that brought unending torment, the bathing for purity or the unreachable food or drink. “Sisyphus shall be condemned to push a boulder up a hill forever.”  
Hades pursed her lips, clearly perplexed with my choice. “A boulder?”  
“An incredibly heavy boulder that will crush his toes and tear his hands,” I added. “When he almost reaches the top, it shall always fall back down. If he should ever succeed, he will be freed.” Hades let a knowing grin spread across her face. “As someone once told me, hope can be a dangerous thing.”  
“I think it’s appropriate. What about the rest of you?” Hades directed the question to the judges.  
“I like it,” Aeacus proclaimed. “It’s fitting.”  
“I was hoping for something a little more… painful,” Minos said unhappily.  
“The boulder could always roll backwards and crush every bone in his body,” I quipped, chuckling.  
Minos turned to look at me with raised eyebrows, then to Hades. “I approve of her even more.”  
“She fits in quite nicely, doesn’t shy from violence. A good match, indeed,” Rhadamanthus agreed.  
I blushed, thinking their approval of our marriage was something that didn’t need to be discussed, especially during a soul’s sentencing. Sisyphus started pointing to his mouth repetitively, clearly wanting to speak. I sighed and let the invisible gag fall.  
“I had special specifications for my burial, which I highly doubt my wife Merope honored. Could I go back and make sure she followed my instructions correctly, Persephone?” His eyes focused on me.  
I stared at him, waiting for him to laugh at his joke, but time stretched and I realized he was serious. I stood swiftly and would have launched myself at him if Hades hadn’t caught my wrist to restrain me. She knew how I would react even before I did.  
“Do you take me for a complete fool, Sisyphus? Do you think I will show you mercy because I’m a woman or because you have heard the stories and think I’m a victim? I have no mercy. I thought a wise mortal such as yourself would know that I am the cause of the world dying. I am no prisoner, I am here of my own free will, and I have not returned because I do not care that the mortals are dying. Does that sound merciful?” A half-truth, at best. “You will receive nothing from me but your death, which was already delivered by my hand, and your torment, which is soon to follow.” My voice remained steady and icy calm, but the braziers flared and I felt power rising in me, no doubt reflecting in my eyes. “So, to answer your question, absolutely not.”  
I snapped my fingers and he disappeared to his new, permanent residence in Tartarus. “Perhaps I’ll visit him from time to time, to see how the punishment is faring, but I’d like to leave for now. I’ll see you later, Hades.”  
The plans for the wedding seemed to be coming to a head, at least to me, but I still didn’t know exactly what day it would be. I also didn’t really know what I wanted to do after I excused myself from the Hall, so I went to Elysium.  
It was still as peaceful as ever, the warm breeze pulling strands of my hair out of its pins and making the tall grass shimmer and flow like ocean waves. I breathed deep and closed my eyes, savoring the feeling of the sun on my face.  
But it was not the real sun.  
But it was close enough to make me forget, sometimes.  
Maybe that’s what I wanted.  
I sighed and rolled my shoulders as a cold feeling settled in my stomach. By marrying Hades, I was pledging myself to be the Underworld’s queen for all time, and in turn, forsaking Olympus and the mortal world alike. I was forsaking the sun. I was forsaking life itself, which had been a part of me since birth.  
Was I forsaking a part of myself?  
Hadn’t I been trying since I arrived?  
Going to the mortal world, the power awakening from its near-dormant state and overpowering me, had brought all of this to my attention. I had always linked my power over the earth to weakness, something that was begging to be torn away and discarded when I gathered the courage to flee. The power wasn’t something to be rejected; that was made clear to me in the mortal world. I had no control over it and it had gone directly to heal the earth as soon as my feet touched the ground.  
What if the earth freezing wasn’t only my mother’s doing? What if I did share some of the blame, and how would my marriage here affect the world? What if they really were dying because of me?  
“Oh! Persephone, it’s you! I didn’t expect to you. Always so quiet and serious.” Chloris’ singsong voice floated over to me on a false summer breeze.  
I winced and turned in her direction, spotting her head over one of the hedges. “Hello, Chloris.”  
She rounded the hedge and frowned. “What is the matter with you now?”  
I contemplated lying and saying everything was fine, but I sighed instead. “I’m not sure. I’m sad, confused.”  
“With your wedding so close?”  
“Partially because of it.”  
She approached and looped her arm around mine. “Oh, love, that’s to be expected.”  
“I know, I know,” I chuckled. “But I can’t help feeling that this situation is different. There are so many factors that might be changed, factors I probably haven’t even considered yet, and I don’t know how it will affect things.”  
We walked into the orchard, leaves dappling the sunlight across the grass. The cloying smell of decaying fruit that hung in the air reminded me of autumns spent with my mother in the mortal world.  
Chloris ducked under a low hanging branch as she said, “Things change with marriage, Persephone. That’s just how it is.”  
“I know that, but I’m talking about bigger things than just myself and Hades, or even the Underworld. How will my absence affect the earth, Chloris? Is it really just my mother, or is it because I’m gone as well? Will I condemn all of the mortals to die just for my marriage?” I let out a heavy sigh, trying to gather my thoughts and calm myself down. My voice had been rising.  
“Well, do you want to marry her?”  
“Yes, of course I do. I wouldn’t have asked her if I didn’t.”  
“Then it doesn’t matter. Marry her. You know you love her, but you don’t know anything else for certain. I don’t think speculation is a good enough reason to keep you from what your heart wants, do you?”  
I frowned. “I suppose not, but there’s just so many things that could…”  
Chloris laughed as she made an apple fall from the tree and hit me on the head. “Quit worrying, Persephone. Take a short break from it, have your wedding, and then you can continue your beloved fretting afterwards.”  
I fought not to smile. “Am I so predictable?”  
“Some things never change.”  
I let out a small laugh that died quickly as my stormy mood pushed its way back to the forefront of my mind. “But what about the war… what about the Olympians? Zeus is a bastard who would deserve it but my brothers and sisters? They don’t deserve to be killed because of what’s happening…”  
Chloris glanced up and made another apple fall, but this time I snapped my fingers and it disintegrated into dust before it had the chance to hit me. She paled at the use of my power as the breeze blew the remnants of the apple away and I briefly considered if I could use that ability on living beings.  
“War won’t happen on your wedding day. It won’t come to that. I just hope you can put your worries aside for merely a day and be happy and in love… and let me be there to see it.”  
“Of course you’ll be there! I think it will be very soon, but I’m not exactly sure…”  
She waved her hand. “That’s quite alright. Just don’t forget me!”  
“We will. It was nice seeing you again, Chloris, but I’m going to head back to the palace. It seems like there’s always something that I need to see to lately.”  
There weren’t as many plans I needed to be included in as I had thought, since Markos and Daeira and the rest of the servants seemed to be handling almost everything. I hadn’t been seeing as much of Daeira lately because of the roles she had been assigned with, but when I asked about the work, she assured me she was enjoying herself and that it reminded her of a relationship with a mortal man, of a time of blissful happiness. While her gaze turned distant and wistful, I refrained from adding that he died. I left and retired to my room with a bottle of wine and some reading material about the most ancient languages, settling into the lounge where Hades found me when she returned later in the evening.  
She took in the sight of me sprawled out on the lounge, the bottle empty, papers strewn about, with a raised eyebrow. “So, this is more important than giving judgment?”  
“Entirely,” I smiled lazily, enjoying the delicious feeling of warmth the wine had given me. “Come here.”  
Hades approached, but didn’t join me on the lounge as I would have hoped. She paused to inspect the bottle. “What’s this for? Nothing bad, I hope?”  
“The usual, boredom, and worry.”  
“About what?” She sat next to me, placing a hand on my thigh in a concerned gesture. “The wedding?”  
“The future.”  
“Let the Moirai worry about that, my love.” Hades leaned down and kissed my temple, before pulling back to grin at me. “I, for one, am so happy I could burst at the seams. Markos could be on fire and I probably wouldn’t notice.”  
I laughed and pushed myself up to kiss her on the lips, a short and fumbling kiss that didn’t quite work because our mouths were too busy smiling. “I could easily put your theory to the test.”  
Hades pulled back and mocked a gasp of shock before dissolving into laughter. “Do not light Markos on fire.”  
I pulled her close to me, pressing my face into her neck as her dark hair fell around us. “But you have to admit,” I whispered, kissing her lightly, “that it would be an amusing sight.”  
“Persephone!” She laughed again. “It would be terrible and cruel!”  
“And?” I prodded, leaning away to look at her.  
She kissed my nose lightly. “And absolutely hilarious.”  
“It would make a lovely wedding present…” I pretended to be seriously considering it. Hades shook her head in disapproval.  
“For all his shortcomings in proper etiquette and bedside manner, he really is quite capable and reliable, you know.”  
“Oh, I know. My teasing is only a bit of childish fun. I’m sure Markos hasn’t had his feelings hurt.” I stood and stretched, stifling a yawn as I moved into my bed and Hades followed.  
When we faced each other in bed, I couldn’t help but ask, “When is the wedding? Soon?”  
Hades smiled. “Very soon.”  
I scowled in irritation. “And I don’t suppose you’ll tell me exactly which day.”  
“Why are you so concerned what day it is? Do you have somewhere else to be?”  
I rolled my eyes. “But how will I tell my friends when to arrive if I don’t even know the day?”  
“The servants and I are taking care of everything. Why are you so worried?”  
“I am compelled to worry about anything that has the possibility of going wrong, especially if it’s my own wedding that I seemingly have no control over.” I glared at her half-heartedly. “I have created a monster within you.”  
Hades laughed and kissed me. I kissed her back, but we both started laughing because I missed her mouth. We kissed to make up for the loss, over and over and over again, laughing and smiling and holding each other until I was dizzy with happiness.  
I wanted our life to be like this, playful glee and blinding joy, and I started to smile once again when I remembered it could be, it would be.  
After we turned down the firelight and settled down, I began to toss and turn as the melancholy thoughts from earlier marred my freshly turned mood.  
“Persephone,” Hades whispered with a slightly irritated tone, “what are you fretting about now? Don’t make me get Hypnos to…”  
“It’s just something Hecate said,” I whispered back. “I don’t know. I’m just… worried and confused.”  
Hades propped herself up in the darkness. “What is it?”  
“When she said the titans were just doing what their king commanded of them, and how it is much like what is currently happening…”  
“Oh,” Hades murmured and paused. “Persephone… war is not always so transparent. You never know if the enemy is only following orders because they were told, or because they believe in them. In the end, it hardly makes a difference. They will fight anyway, and it is up to you to defend yourself or let yourself be killed. I know that isn’t comforting, and it’s hardly something I care to reflect on, but it’s the truth.”  
I bit my lip as I weighed her words carefully. “They may not always be respectable people and I may like some less than others, but they are my family, as they are yours. Would I really have to go to war against them, the same people who raised me and dressed me and educated me? I do not mean to presume all the circumstances of what you had to do in the Titanomachy and I will never judge you for it, but was it not different? They were your family, yes, but they did not raise you or love you as you should have been, as I had been. You had more reason than I to fight. Would I have to put my blade to their throats? Would I have to see our family here fight my old one? All because of my father and this mess of things?”  
Hades didn’t say anything.  
I swallowed the growing lump in my throat and whispered, “Truthfully, I don’t know if I could bear it.”  
“I don’t know if I could, either.”  
Our hands found each other in the dark.  
“We have to do everything we can to prevent war and to protect the people who shouldn’t be fighting this for us in the first place. You shouldn’t have to relive another Titanomachy.”  
“And you shouldn’t have to live to see one,” Hades agreed.  
“Then you will help me?”  
“Always.”


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persephone finds herself whisked away by her female friends to celebrate on the eve of her wedding, starting the proaulia.

I heard someone moving around my room in the morning, but knew it wasn’t Hades because the space beside me was long cold. With a groan, I pushed myself up and rubbed my face with the full intention of telling Daeira to bother someone else because I was much too tired to deal with whatever she had planned, but I was surprised when I opened my eyes.  
Not only was Daeira here, but Hecate and Chloris as well. They smiled brightly at me as I scowled.  
“Do I even want to know what you three are scheming?”  
Hecate tsked. “That would be telling. Get ready. We have a full day planned ahead now that it’s practically half-wasted.”  
“Are you complaining that I slept in?” I hid a grin as I stood and turned to the bathroom. “I thought queens could do what they liked.”  
Hecate laughed. “Hades would certainly approve, if that was actually the case.”  
“So am I being forced to go along with this plan, whatever it may be, or can I decline?” I asked, dressing quickly and pinning my hair up before reemerging in the room. “Where is Hades? Has she gone to the Hall already? Has something happened?”  
“You don’t have to be concerned with that right now,” Daeira said brightly, but somehow also cryptically.  
“We’re going to have fun, not work!” Chloris clapped her hands together with excitement.  
I narrowed my eyes. “This is highly suspicious and I’ll have you know I don’t like this at all.”  
Daeira stepped beside me and patted my arm. “Of course you don’t.”  
“Are you ready to leave?” Hecate asked as she moved to the door.  
I sighed heavily. “If I must be.”  
Hecate rolled her eyes. “To think she sounds like we’re subjecting her to torture! Ungrateful, I tell you.”  
“She’s always been that way,” Chloris said, with a quick, apologetic smile back to me.  
Hecate chuckled. “I like her already.”  
“All my friends, old and new, ganging up on me. I’m outnumbered, which isn’t exactly sporting.”  
“Oh, shush. You’ll have fun.”  
“And how do you know that, Daeira? I’m still very tired and irritable.”  
Chloris walked behind us as we left my room, whispering, “we can tell.”  
Daeira leaned over to her and whispered, “Persephone and Hades haven’t been…”  
“Oh!” Chloris exclaimed, and then chuckled.  
“And how would you know, Daeira?”  
“My room is next to yours and neither of you are exactly… quiet.”  
Hecate chuckled in front of me.  
“Neither are you and Thanatos. Walls work both ways,” I remarked dryly.  
There was a pause as Daeira flustered, but Hecate started laughing, bending over as she bellowed, which made Chloris and I start too.  
Daeira waited for us to stop laughing, before reverting to the previous topic. “There will be drinking involved today.”  
“Drinking, you say?” I perked up. “Well, I suppose I can muster some enthusiasm for that.”  
All of them laughed.  
I turned back to Chloris, who was glancing around the hallway with wide eyes. “What do you think of the palace? You haven’t visited yet, have you?”  
“I think it’s impractically large, unless there are a minimum of three armies being housed here.”  
None of us argued with her as I just laughed.  
Daeira pretended to think for a moment. “Two, maybe.”  
“Hades told me she built it herself because she has a lot of time on her hands. We should find her some new hobbies.”  
“Like putting up with you?” Daeira supplied, which threw Hecate and Chloris into a bout of laughter.  
“Not sporting!”  
“It is very grand,” Chloris added, changing the topic back. “I can see why you like it here.”  
“So the realm is different than you thought it would be?” Hecate asked, genuinely curious.  
“Much.”  
“Did you think the dead were going to grab at your robes and try to clutch your ankles, stealing the youth from you?” Hecate grinned mischievously.  
“Maybe a little,” Chloris admitted.  
“Persephone, would you mind if we stop by the kitchens before we leave?”  
“No, but may I ask why?”  
“Just for some food and refreshments while we’re out.”  
“Where are we going?”  
“Elysium,” Chloris offered.  
“Why are we going there? Did something happen?”  
Hecate rolled her eyes. “Always so pessimistic, Persephone. Nothing has happened, nothing terrible is happening. Just relax.”  
“We thought we could spend some time there because it’s nice and it could be fun, but I suppose that’s entirely up to your mood,” said Daeira.  
“And to avoid all of this,” Hecate pushed open the door to the kitchens in time for a group of servants, all carrying baskets full of food, to come pouring through. They paused to bow and chorus, “my ladies,” before continuing on.  
The kitchens were a sight to behold. Countless servants were preparing food, all working together in perfect synchronization. The noise was jarring, and seeing so many people at once after going so long without being in large company was slightly overwhelming, but I didn’t let it show.  
Was the wedding today? Would Hades give me such short notice?  
“It’s not today, is it?” I asked quietly, feeling a little faint.  
“What? No, of course not,” Hecate chimed as she grabbed a lone basket left out on a counter. “Thank you for this. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble.”  
A nearby servant replied. “None at all, especially compared to what Hades and Markos are having us do.”  
“It’s not too bad, is it? They aren’t working you to…” I trailed off to refrain from saying “death.”  
“It’s the busiest I’ve ever seen it, but no, not terrible. We’re all here because we want to be and we’re very happy to be a part of such an important moment in your life, your grace.”  
Hecate opened the basket to peak inside. “Admirable choices. Shall we take our leave, ladies?”  
Hecate made quick work of weaving through the passages to the front entrance. She shuffled the basket to her other hand while she gently took Daeira’s. I did the same with Chloris and we arrived in Elysium together.  
My dark power dispelled and revealed the blinding sun, which started warming my skin immediately. I spotted Hecate and Daeira a short distance away, near a row of hyacinths.  
“I’m glad to be back here,” Chloris said beside me.  
“Why? I thought you liked the palace.”  
“I do, but it’s very cold.” Chloris rubbed her arms, which were covered in goosebumps from the sudden change in temperature.  
“I thought so as well, at first.”  
“And now?”  
“I’ve gotten used to it, like they have.” I shrugged. “Maybe it was growing into my power that made me more comfortable here, but, as one vegetation goddess to another…” I took a deep breath. “I understand. Someone like you was not made for the Underworld.”  
“And you?”  
“Who I was before? No. But who I am now?” I watched Hecate and Daeira approaching. “This is my home, my family. This is where I belong. I know that in my bones.”  
“I’m glad you’ve found your place, Persephone.”  
I turned to her. “Have you?”  
She bit her lip as she thought. “I’m not sure, but I do like it here, in Elysium. It’s very tranquil, unhurried, and simple. There are no complications here. Even Ascalaphus is nice, when he talks to me.”  
“I rarely see him.”  
“He makes himself scarce when you’re here.”  
“Why? He isn’t afraid of me, is he?”  
Chloris laughed. “No, of course not. He knows you value your privacy.”  
“And how does he know that?”  
“Because I told him.”  
“Well, you weren’t wrong.”  
“What were you just laughing about?” Daeira huffed as she neared. She was back to looking fully alive again, and the difference was always startling. Her somewhat transparent appearance as a spirit always took away from her beauty, which was back in full force. “Not another joke at my expense, I hope.”  
“The joke at your expense was because you provoked me, Daeira, and I can never back down from a challenge.”  
“You are very much like Hades in that aspect, both too stubborn for your own good.” Hecate rolled her eyes. “I don’t know if it’s a curse or retribution that put you with her.”  
“Have I not tormented Hades enough with my stubborn nature for your liking?”  
“She could handle more, after all she put us through over the years.”  
“Which was?” I prodded.  
“Oh, I suppose I could tell you some stories, but let us set up this blanket in a nice area.” She looked around for a moment. “Any suggestions, Chloris?”  
Chloris directed us to the edge of the grove, where we had sun and shade and a nice breeze to whistle through the leaves. Hecate pulled a blanket out of thin air and spread it out on the ground for us before sitting down herself, in the shade. I did notice that her cheeks were already starting to grow pink, so she must be sensitive to the sun. She took food and wine out of the basket and passed them around.  
“Now, Persephone, I only brought one bottle, so share with everyone else.”  
“My drinking habits are not that bad,” I protested, as I poured some of the too-full glass into Chloris’. “Would you hand me a fig?”  
Daeira sipped her wine and passed me the fruit I asked for, and I tried not to watch her too carefully as she ate, another weird sight to me.  
“So what’s this about Hades in her youth? What torment did she unleash upon the Underworld?” I smiled over the brim of my glass, and then watched Hecate drain hers completely. “And you had the audacity to tell me about drinking!”  
Hecate rolled her eyes. “I’ll need the alcohol to tell these stories.”  
Chloris grew some moss behind her and reclined in the sun. “I don’t know Hades that well, but I would like to know more about the person my friend is marrying.”  
“And I’m curious too. Hades doesn’t seem too… rash now, as far as I’ve seen.”  
“As far as you’ve seen is right,” I laughed.  
How many times had Hades and I gotten into disagreements about irrelevant things? How many times has Hades withheld things of importance from me?  
I laughed again, making light of my thoughts. It was the past.  
“Time has weathered her, for the most part. It happens to all of us.” Hecate thought for a moment and then grinned. “Except for Daeira’s lover and his brother.”  
“They do seem so young, sometimes. I find myself forgetting.”  
“Well,” Hecate continued, “you all know of Hades’ arrival to the Underworld, right? It’s her story to tell, so I shouldn’t go into details. I chose to reside here in the Underworld before the war, because my powers over the dead linked me to this place, in a way. It called to me, the way it must to you, Persephone.” Hecate glanced over at me before looking away, into the grove, a distant look in her eyes. “The twins were here before that, since they’re much older than I am. They were some of the first children Nyx and Erebus had. Anyway, what happened, happened, and the war started, and the old gods here, myself and the twins included, were able to ignore it, for a time. We were and still are very removed and unaffected by the happenings in the mortal world and Olympus. Eventually we were called on, and we made our choices, and we did what we had to do.  
“I am not telling war stories. They are breaks in time, endless chasms where all good things are consumed, and they are never happy or heroic, as the victors try to tell them. The victors are just people who didn’t die a hero’s death on the battlefield, who will live out their days trying to fill that void with something else. But a void is a void. War is war. It will never be any different.”  
Hecate never looked older than she did then, as I sat in the sun and watched old ghosts creep into her eyes. She sighed and shook her head lightly, to dispel them for another time. “What I’m trying to say is that we all came back different. The twins and I were old enough to be tired of that, but Hades was so young, so fierce. The war ended, but there was still bloodlust, for the pain, for the vengeance that never cures it. We all had been promised so many things, Hades included. When the lots were drawn… Some say they tricked Hades, others say she was unlucky. She never told me which. Her brothers did not want this place, none of them did, because it reminded them of where they had been. Regardless of the circumstance, they made sure she could never rule over anything else. They forced her to eat food of the Underworld and bound her here for all time.  
“She was hurting, and angry, and the newfound powers and how a world of light was stripped from her as soon as she was able to grasp it… It was too much for her. She was not well, for a very long time.”  
My heart felt like it was in my throat. I swallowed. “But she said you helped her.”  
“Eventually, we were able to, but Hades was very distrustful, after everything that had happened. But time passed, as it always does, and we adapted, as we always do. The four of us became very close, and there are so many things I could tell you. How ambitious she was, trying to figure out how to arrange the Underworld, how to make things work efficiently as possible, her bouts of inspiration that neared madness when she was captured on an idea for her home, how she welcomed new chthonic deities because she never had the chance…” Hecate went on and on until Chloris, Daeira, and I prodded her for specific examples.  
We ate and drank leisurely, spreading out in the sun, enjoying the day. Chloris and I weaved flower crowns for everyone as we laughed at Hecate’s retellings of happy memories of the Underworld. Chloris wove a crown of crocuses for Daeira and Hecate received a crown of poppies from me. I spun mine from violets and larkspur, and Chloris used lilies for hers. We looked like frolicking nymphs by the time we were done.  
“... and this one time, when the twins got into a fight at the palace and demolished part of a tower with their antics… You should have seen Hades’ face when she returned. A harbinger of doom, I tell you. She threw a sword at Hypnos, which luckily for him, missed his genitals and instead pinned him by the chiton to the wall while she grabbed Thanatos by the hair and ripped him back. The chiton didn’t stop Hypnos, because he slipped right out of it and tried to attack Thanatos again.”  
“Naked?” I gasped, nearly wheezing from how hard I was laughing at the image.  
“As a baby,” she nodded.  
“And what were you doing during this, Hecate?” Chloris laughed.  
“Watching the drama unfold from a vantage point,” she winked and took another sip of wine. “I played a little prank on Hades once.”  
“You?” I asked incredulously.  
“I decided to hide the Helm of Darkness from her, just because she rarely ever used it, and see how long it took her to realize.”  
“Can’t she just summon it to her?”  
“She can, but I prevented her from being able to. When she realized it was gone, she tried, and it failed, of course. She upended the entire palace looking for it. Sent all of her servants away because she was suspicious of them, and when she couldn’t find it anywhere, she interrogated the twins because she thought they must have stolen it. They didn’t have any idea what was going on, and knew nothing, so Hades resigned herself to thinking it had been stolen by a renegade mortal on a quest, or one of the Olympians. She was literally ready to storm Mount Olympus before I let it go and placed it in the middle of her bed.”  
“Did she ever realize it was you?”  
“Not at the time, and if she eventually figured it out, she never brought it up,” Hecate looked away. “It may have been slightly cruel of me, but Hades had been vexing me at the time, acting childish and superior to others. It was a passive aggressive way to have my revenge, I know.”  
“Good to see that not only I have noticed,” I raised my glass to her and laughed.  
“Or there was that time with the Erinyes and the twins…” Hecate started.  
I sat up. “Is this the story of how they got banned from their home? No one ever told me!”  
“What?” Chloris asked, and Daeira shushed her.  
Hecate nodded. “It all started because of a bet between the twins. Thanatos thought he could sleep with the three of them without any of them finding out, and Hypnos wouldn’t believe Thanatos, so he made Thanatos steal personal trinkets of theirs after the deeds were done. Needless to say, the Erinyes found out, and they came after the both of them. Hades and I had been busy while this happened, but when we got back and heard, we found the Erinyes practicing their throwing knife aim on the very naked twins, who were chained to the walls, while the Erinyes were getting increasingly drunk and their aim less than perfect. The twins were literally crying, begging Hades to intervene.”  
“And did she?”  
“She had to. She can’t let the chthonic deities kill each other, but the twins certainly had it coming. She let them free but banished them from the Erinyes’ home and said if they ever came back and caused trouble, she’d let the Erinyes finish their game.”  
We all laughed.  
“And there was this… thing that happened with the judges once.”  
“Oh?”  
“Hades and I had some informal questions to ask them, which I can’t remember for the life of my what they were about, so instead of summoning them to the Hall, we visited them here, in Elysium. It was on a whim, I suppose, and it was one of the biggest mistakes we’ve ever made.”  
Daeira leaned forward, eyes wide. “Why?”  
“To be fair, we didn’t really announce ourselves, but we walked into Rhadamanthus’ home to see all three judges participating in a very large… Oh, there’s no way to put this delicately… a sex gathering. Someone there mistook us for guests. I’ll never forget the sight in my entire existence, unfortunately.”  
“The judges?” I shrieked.  
Hecate shuddered and I wailed with laughter.  
“Why didn’t Hades ever tell me this? After all the complaints they made after finding out we had sex on the floor? They have no room to talk.”  
“Hades was probably trying to erase it from her memory by never acknowledging it again, I’m guessing.” Hecate looked distant again. “The three of them, naked, covered in oil with a bunch of other men and women… Haunting, I tell you.”  
“What about your love life, Hecate? Chloris is married, I’m getting married, Daeira had a son with Hermes…”  
“Daeira did what?” Hecate looked vaguely nauseated.  
“Don’t look at me like that, Hecate. He was charming. As if you’ve made better choices.” Daeira scoffed.  
“I prefer to keep my affairs private. I don’t need any grief from the twins.”  
“Fair enough. They wouldn’t be above such actions.”  
Hecate told a few more stories as we finished our wine and idly ate fruit and bits of cooked meat in the grove. I let the sun warm my face as I enjoyed the pleasant warmth of the wine in my body. It had been a long time since I had done anything like this, had been so relaxed, had laughed so hard. I was glad my friends forced me to do this.  
“Persephone?” Hecate asked, pulling me from my thoughts and the near sleep-like state I had fallen into. “Can you take a walk with me?”  
I pushed myself up, head swimming. “Yes, of course.”  
Chloris and Daeira stayed behind while Hecate led me further into the grove, until we came upon a peculiar, circular pattern scored into the dirt.  
“I don’t remember leaving that here.”  
“You wouldn’t. I made this, for the hieros gamos.”  
“What?”  
“You heard me,” she laughed. “You and Hades will be performing it here.”  
“Why here and not in a bed at home?”  
“This place is tied to you, you put a lot of your power into making this grove, and the hieros gamos is best done in places of significance. You will need to get in the circle, completely disrobe, say new vows, cleanse yourself with water from the Styx, open your mind completely to Hades, and then you’ll make love and hopefully, that will work. Any questions?”  
“What do you mean, cleanse?”  
“There will be a bowl or pitcher of water gathered from the Styx and you’ll pour it over your heads together.”  
I tried not to give her a skeptical look. “And the vows?”  
Hecate said them and made me repeat them several times until I had them memorized.  
“And what exactly do you mean by opening my mind?”  
“Do you remember when you were young and were taught to put mental guards up? So other gods couldn’t influence you as easily? So Eris wouldn’t make you want to claw your friend’s eyes out or Aphrodite make you try to seduce anyone in sight? They’re probably second nature to you, by now.”  
“I think so. It’s been ages.”  
“You’ll have to take them down. Imagine it like you are inviting Hades into your mind, to be able to access any thought, memory, fear, and even though the prospect of being so vulnerable is not enjoyable, you still have to want it, invite her into you. You will have to show complete trust and faith that she is the one for you. It might be difficult for you, since you are private, but it will be even more difficult for Hades, who has trained more than anyone I know for solid mental shields because of her link to the Underworld, and what she’s forced to hear because of it.”  
I was quiet as I looked over the markings in the circle, walking around it but careful to not disturb anything. My heart started fluttering in my chest, at seeing this concrete evidence of what my future held. “This is really happening, isn’t it? It’s hard to believe, for some reason.”  
“It’s really happening.” Hecate smiled brightly and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, confused when her fingers brushed against the flower crown she must have forgotten about. “I’m so happy for you.”  
“Persephone, Hecate!” Chloris called, her voice some distance away. “Are you done? We’re feeling a bit neglected.”  
Hecate chuckled, “We should be getting back to them and leaving.”  
“And we’ll go our separate ways?”  
“Not a chance. We’ve only just begun.”  
We returned and helped Daeira and Chloris pack our basket again, making sure to not leave anything behind. I pretended not to see Daeira wistfully looking at her solid hands as I stretched, still in a pleasant mood from the wine and the sun. It felt like golden afternoons spent in Eleusis when I was too young to be bitter, hours stretching into hazy, languid warmth.  
We must have been here for a few hours, and if I had slept in, that meant it was approaching evening. I was curious what plans they had for me for the rest of the night.  
Hecate took us back to her place, firelight glinting off the flawless white marble. I could hear light music and voices coming from inside. A few lampades spilled out to greet us, followed by some beautiful women with the familiar hazy look of a disguise. I presumed they were some of the Empusai, Mormolykeia, or Lamiae that Hades had mentioned.  
“My ladies, your grace! You’re finally here!”  
“What’s this about?” I asked Hecate as they ushered us inside excitedly. Incense tickled my nose.  
“It’s a party, your grace! Have some wine!”  
“If I must,” I laughed and accepted the goblet. Chloris and Hecate also took one each.  
More of the lampades and some of the Arae were relaxing in the same room I had met Achlys and Melinoe for the first time. The nymphs danced around us as we settled into pillows amidst the music of a lyre.  
I laughed. “What is all this for? This cannot be for no reason.”  
My companions looked at each other cautiously, small smiles growing across their faces.  
Tisiphone breezed into the room. “Alecto sends her apologies for not being able to come, so she sent me in her stead. I suppose I shall have to suffer.” She glanced around the room, eyes settling on a pitcher of wine. “Oh, refreshments.”  
I watched her cross the room warily. “Explain. What is going on?”  
Tisiphone fell into the pillows beside us, the smell of smoke washing over me. “Isn’t this what the mortals do, or close enough?” She waved her hand around to emphasize whatever point she was trying to make.  
“What do the mortals do?”  
“Isn’t it called the proaulia? I’ve only vaguely heard about such things.”  
“Why isn’t anyone answering any of my questions directly?” I huffed, and sipped more of my wine. This seemed to clearly concern me, and I certainly didn’t appreciate being left out of it.  
“The proaulia is a pre-wedding ritual the bride partakes in. Usually it’s several days spent with female members of their family and other female friends before the actual wedding ceremonies,” Hecate explained. “At least that’s what I gathered.”  
“I never got anything like this. I thought it would be fun.” Chloris smiled brightly.  
“Several days?”  
“Lucky for you, we’re cutting it short. It’s only for the night.” Hecate reclined into the pillows and took a large drink of wine. “Besides, I think we’re supposed to give you marriage advice, and since Chloris is the only married one present, I thought a party with dancing and drinking would work.”  
“And the mortals usually cut their hair and make offerings to the goddesses to help them,” Daeira coughed lightly, “transition into adulthood, if you catch my meaning, which would be more than slightly redundant.”  
“Daeira, are you accusing me of being impure? How dare you!” I pretended to be wounded, and we laughed. “Wait, Hecate… You said only for the night. Does that mean the wedding is…”  
“Tomorrow? Yes.”  
My body may have frozen, but my mind started racing. My heartbeat sped up until I felt lightheaded. “But what about my wedding peplos? That can’t be done! And the decorations, the food? Have all the gifts been sorted through? Has everyone been invited? They can’t know. No one will show up!” My hands started shaking as they held the goblet and I felt like I was going to be sick.  
Hecate placed her hand over mine and chuckled. “Take a deep breath, Persephone. Everything has been taken care of. Hades knows that, so there’s no need for you to worry so much.”  
I took a breath and then downed the rest of my wine, groaning, “Why does Hades do this to me? She knows I hate this. It’s cruel.”  
“She always likes to handle problems so others don’t have to. That’s how she is.”  
“I don’t like not knowing about things that concern me, as I’m sure you well know. I would have thought she would have learned from that.”  
“She means well, this time, and wanted to save you the worry.”  
I sighed heavily. “I suppose I trust her judgment on this. I don’t really know anything about weddings, or organizing events.”  
“It will be perfect. Of that, I’m sure.”  
“Can we make the best of the night, then?” Daeira poured me some more wine.  
“I heard something about dancing!” Chloris clapped and stood quickly, offering her hand to me. “Like old times!”  
I obliged and let her pull me up after taking another drink. Daeira and several other nymphs joined us as the lyre resumed its playing. We twirled around and around in each other’s arms, exchanging partners, incense and wine making my head spin and my heart swell.  
I was getting married to my love. I was here, with my friends and family, who were happy for me, who wanted to be here for me, who supported and wanted to share my happiness. Had I ever imagined I would find this in the land of the dead? Had I ever imagined I could call it mine?  
I thought I even saw Tisiphone smile as she watched us dance, but it could have been a trick of the light.  
I collapsed into the pillows next to Hecate, spent and sweating and smiling. “Why isn’t Hades here? She’s a woman too.”  
“She wanted you to have this, and the twins took it upon themselves to see to it that she had a good time tonight, in case you were worried about her.”  
“Her being with the twins and their idea of a good time makes me even more worried.”  
Hecate and Tisiphone both laughed. “She has a point there, Hecate.”  
She raised her hands in defeat. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”  
A choking power descended on the house and everyone stilled, the music and dancing coming to an abrupt stop. Nyx entered the room, wreathed in darkness, without a sound. She surveyed the room impassively before speaking. “No need to stop on my account. I am here to speak with Persephone. Would you be so kind as to…” Nyx nodded to the empty balcony.  
I took it that she didn’t come to these events very often. I stood right away. “Of course, Nyx.”  
The music picked back up, albeit tentatively, as I crossed the room with her. When we approached the railing of the balcony, a sudden wind picked up, making the curtains flutter around us, obscuring us from view and quieting the din inside.  
“I take it this is important? No eavesdropping?”  
“Nymphs are known for their loose tongues, and I like my privacy.” Nyx gazed out into the Underworld. “I came to congratulate you on the wedding.”  
“I…” I started, blinking in surprise. “Thank you. It hasn’t happened yet. I hear it’s tomorrow.”  
“I know,” she turned to me. “A union of this magnitude hasn’t happened in so long. Do you have any idea what the significance of it is?”  
I opened my mouth to answer her but she cut me off. “I know what you are thinking and I did not mean the significance to just you and Hades.” She rested her hands lightly on the railing in front of her, facing the Underworld. “I am not sure if you can feel this or not, but I can. The whole of the land of the dead has been waiting for this moment. I can feel the stillness, the anticipation, almost as if it is holding its breath. It knows that these events have been foretold and will make waves in the fabric of time and fate.”  
I didn’t know what to say.  
“Although most of us would not like to acknowledge it, very few unions are important. The last was perhaps Zeus and Hera, although it would be arguable that it was not. But Cronus and Rhea? Uranus and Gaia? Unions that began generations. I like to think Erebus and I were of some relevance, but I could be biased. We were never properly married, regardless, though we did perform the hieros gamos, which was really the only ritual related to marriage back then, so semantics.”  
I watched darkness curl around her form like encircling arms. “What was it like for you?”  
“Are you frightened that you will not be able to complete it?”  
It was unnerving how directly Nyx asked the question, but I suppose she didn’t bother with being polite. If I was as old, powerful, respected, and feared as she was, I don’t think I would either. I answered her just as directly as she asked. “Yes.”  
“You do not need to worry. I have no doubts it will work for you, and as for your other question…” She smiled to yourself. “There is no way to properly describe the experience, or how you will feel after. It changes everything.”  
“That’s a bit disconcerting.”  
Nyx chuckled. “Who is the same after love? They are our counterparts, our balance, they make up for our faults, as we do for them. We become our better selves because of them, through them.”  
“I don’t want to be better,” I said stubbornly. “Better usually means polite, docile, and probably a bunch of other adjectives I can’t think of right now.”  
She tossed her hair back and laughed. “Better for you is different than others, yes? I should have used another word. Has she made you more… yourself? Free to be who you really are, without pretense?”  
I nodded.  
“That is why I have faith it will work.” She touched my arm reassuringly, but her power made my skin erupt in goosebumps. My power started swirling around my feet on its own accord. “I should be going. I have to give my best wishes to Hades as well. I shall see you tomorrow, and I hope you remember to cherish the day.”  
“Thank you for the advice. It is always welcome.”  
“At least you acknowledge it. With age, comes wisdom, but with youth, comes spontaneity,” Nyx grinned, and then dissolved into a cloud of black mist, promptly vanishing.  
The wind died down and Hecate, who must have been hovering by the doors, stepped forward.  
“Does she always do that?”  
Hecate only shook her head and shrugged.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The proaulia concludes and the wedding, gamos, is performed.

“Are you sure this is absolutely necessary? Isn’t this supposed to symbolize my purity? It’s a bit late for that.” I stopped and sputtered as water ran down my face.  
“An accident, my apologies,” Daeira murmured, and though I couldn’t see her face from her position behind me, I could hear her grin. She started to comb through my hair and I relaxed back into her touch.  
“You may not be a virgin anymore but tradition is tradition. It’s important,” Hecate reminded from the opposite side of the pool, watching what I was being subjected to with amusement. She leaned back against the edge, the ends of her blonde hair floating on top of the water.  
Chloris scrubbed at my skin with soap. “You don’t want to have any regrets about missing something for your wedding, do you?”  
“Hopefully it will be your only wedding… For all our sakes,” Hecate added.  
“I don’t have any plans on leaving Hades at the moment. If I do, I’ll be sure to inform you.” I reached for my cup of water on the edge of the pool and took a sip.  
The three of them had roused me quickly this morning as we had apparently slept in and took me back to Hades’ palace to participate in yet another ritual before the wedding. This wasn’t bad, as far as rituals go, and Daeira combing my hair was actually quite relaxing, but I was still jittery and anxious. I was getting married, and I hadn’t even seen Hades since the day before last. And the worst part was that they had forbidden me to drink any wine.  
“Please remind me of our schedule, one more time.”  
“We're bathing you and then we'll get dressed. As far as events go, after you're ready, we'll begin the private wedding ceremony, the public celebrations following, and then you'll retire for the hieros gamos in Elysium.”  
“And why are we having a public celebration? An excuse for a good party?”  
Hecate grinned. “That, and it will be the formal way for everyone to acknowledge the new queen of the Underworld.”  
“So many formalities. Everyone had already taken to calling me that even before I accepted her proposal,” I grumbled unhappily.  
“If you didn’t want people to find out ahead of time, you shouldn’t have made such a scene at the Hall of Judgment, such absent displays of power are almost always… inadvisable.” I opened my mouth to argue, but decided against it. Hecate smiled and continued. “And formalities tend to happen when you wed into royalty.”  
“Is it too late to change my mind?”  
Hecate kicked water into my face and I screeched and dove out of the way, but she manipulated a stream of it to follow me. I blocked it with a wave of fire and hissing steam erupted around us. We laughed, but Daeira and Chloris didn’t.  
“For once, you aren’t helping,” Daeira said dryly, looking at Hecate. “We aren’t finished with you yet. Please come back here.”  
I sighed and swam back to them. Daeira resumed running the comb through my hair and Chloris switched to my other side to scrub my skin with soap. I tried my best to sit still, but I was vibrating with excitement and nerves. My power solidified around us, twitching like a wild animal. Hecate watched it with a ghost of a smile, but my friends said nothing.  
“Oh, I can’t take it anymore. Can I have a glass of wine?”  
Hecate raised an eyebrow. “In the hot water, it will just dehydrate you.”  
“I’ll take my chances.”  
“Very well. Just don’t get drunk. You don’t want to spoil everything today, do you?” She waved a hand and a glass appeared on the edge of the pool.  
I sipped it slowly, my eyes steady on her the entire time I drank it. She rolled her eyes and shook her head at me.  
The silence lengthened.  
I bit my lip as I thought of how to word what I wanted to say next. “I know I… usually sound ungrateful…” My pause gave room for Daeira to make a sound between a scoff and a laugh. Hecate only grinned and waited for me to continue. “I know. I wanted to thank you, all of you, for helping me, for dealing with me, and for your advice. I wouldn’t be here without you, I wouldn’t be at this moment, getting ready for my own wedding. I’m getting married!”  
Chloris squealed and shared my excitement, kissing me on the cheek. “We’re happy you’re happy… and I think now you are clean and pure.”  
Hecate stood out of the pool and grabbed us towels while Daeira ran the comb through my hair one last time. I blatantly refused their help drying me off, thinking the worst was over, but it wasn’t. Chloris and Daeira had both brought changes of clothes, but Hecate and I were left in our towels. After they had covertly stole me back to my room, the sun rising and casting shadows through windows, they insisted on helping rub me down with oil. Chloris’ hands were brisk and made quick work of it, at least. She gave Daeira a different kind of oil to comb through my hair until it felt like silk beneath my fingers. I smelled sweet and spicy, both balancing each other so neither were too overpowering.  
“What herbs and spices are in this?”  
“Do you like it?” Chloris asked brightly. “I made it for you. I don’t really have a way to acquire a wedding present for you, so I thought you’d like this.”  
“I love it. It’s very thoughtful of you.”  
Daeira fiddled with my hair and watched me in the mirror. “I wonder what we should do with this…”  
Hecate poured herself a glass of wine and gracefully sat down, her towel transforming into a dove gray peplos with threads of silver and pale blue. It shimmered like a river in the torchlight. “I’m partial to keeping it down. She has such lovely long hair.”  
“But wouldn’t an updo be elegant?” Chloris spoke absently, twisting her own hair into a thick braid down her back.  
“Will I be attending the ceremonies naked?” I asked, interrupting whatever debate was about to start between my friends. I was still standing completely nude, not that I was shy, but there was a bit of a draft.  
Hecate laughed. “I’m sure Hades wouldn’t mind.”  
“It slipped my mind!” Daeira flustered and looked around. “I suppose it would be better to dress you first, and then worry about your hair… Where did we put the peplos?”  
“Don’t look at me,” Chloris said. “I know nothing about that. You told me it was taken care of.”  
Daeira gave an exasperated look to Hecate, who cocked her head, her pale eyes growing distant as a blue light flared behind them. A moment later she shook her head. “I’ve found it.”  
A package dropped next to Daeira on the table and I raised my eyebrows. Hecate, for whatever reason, barely used her powers around me, so several displays in one day was unheard of. It made me wonder what limits her power held. “Showing off a bit today, aren’t we?”  
“What can I say? The wedding puts me in a good mood, and I may be a bit of a romantic. Don’t tell the boys,” She winked and chuckled. “Besides, it was better than us forcing Daeira to go fetch it.”  
“I certainly appreciate it,” Daeira said as she unwrapped the package and the red cloth spilled out of her hands like the Phlegethon. It had been cut and tailored, sewn in with jewels, and when it caught the light, it shone like the sun.  
“It’s breathtaking…” Chloris murmured. “Who made it?”  
“Athena sent it with the Keres for me, for the wedding.” I held out my arms as Daeira wound the peplos around me and fixed it with a belt. Chloris helped hold the fabric up at my shoulders while Daeira searched for fibulae to go with it.  
“What do you think, Hecate? Gold, silver? Persephone seems to have a few to choose from.”  
“Gold, with rubies or garnets.”  
I pointed to where they were on the desk. My friends helped me pin the shoulders and I stepped away to look at myself in the mirror. The peplos looked like lava spewing from a volcano, molten metal poured right from the forge. It was almost luminous and the fabric felt like water gliding over my skin. The color of it set off the last tint of red that remained in my hair, and my eyes glowed with flames. I looked like a goddess of fire.  
“Somehow… It’s perfect.”  
Daeira reached towards the necklaces.  
“Daeira, remove your hand from the jewelry. I appreciate what you’re doing, but if I can’t do a few things by myself today, I’ll go mad, and Hades will have to marry a woman who mutters to herself and sees shadows.”  
She sighed heavily. “We can’t have that, can we?”  
I put on the matching necklace, laying it flat over my chest. The largest garnet was the size of my thumb, and it was crowned with small diamonds. Daeira handed me, silently, the accompanying arm bands. As soon as I slipped them on, there was a knock on the door.  
It was Markos. “My lady, you have a visitor.”  
“Oh?” I turned, raising an eyebrow. “I thought Hades was playing at some convoluted purity game with me and doesn’t want to see her blushing bride until the ceremony.”  
A figure stepped around him, dark hair braided so tight it looked like it hurt. Her gray eyes were flashing to match her wicked grin.  
I didn’t know what to say, so I said nothing, and stood in my room gaping.  
“Beautiful,” Athena finally broke the silence.  
“Thank you.”  
“I was talking about the peplos.”  
“I know,” I said and started laughing. We met each other in the middle of the room, arms open, tears threatening to spill over. I kissed her on her cool cheek, inhaling, remembering the feel of her.  
“How? What are you doing here? You’re in the Underworld!”  
Athena laughed and it sounded like my childhood. “I know, I said I wouldn’t be able to, I didn’t think I would be, but… An opportunity arose. I took it. I couldn’t miss my favorite little sister’s wedding.” She touched my cheek softly, her fingers wandering to my hair. “You’re beautiful. You look so different… You’re pale, and your eyes and hair have changed. You look… older.”  
“I hope that isn’t a bad thing.”  
“You look more mature, so no, I suppose it’s not.” Her eyes swept over me again. “All this finery. It suits you more than I thought it would. Perhaps Hera saw that in you.”  
I took a moment to take in her appearance. “You look…” I paused, searching for anything that wouldn’t be too insulting. She looked exhausted, deep purple blossomed under her eyes like a bruise, and she was… pale and thin. Much too thin. Even her luminous divinity was dimmed, noticeably, and she had always shone brighter than most. She was fading, I could tell. “You look tired.”  
She gave me a sad smile. “I know, but don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. This is your day.”  
I grinned and pulled her into another quick hug. “You’re here! I can’t believe it! It feels like a dream. How did you…” I trailed off. “I thought Hades forbid the Olympians from…”  
“Well, she did, and I was only escorted after being threatened by the Keres, the Erinyes, and Hades herself that if anything should happen to you from my being here, a space would be cleared out for me in Tartarus.”  
I laughed. “That’s nonsense.”  
“Oh?”  
“They wouldn’t have to clear any space for you. There’s plenty of room in Tartarus already.” Athena’s eyes grew wide and she didn’t realize I was joking until I started laughing again. “I’m so happy you could make it… What do you think?”  
“Of this place? It’s strange, different than I expected it to be.”  
I nodded. “I agree. When I first arrived, I…”  
“My dear,” Hecate called, “as much as we love your excitement, I think Daeira is becoming a bit cross with you. She isn’t finished, and we do have big plans for today.”  
I turned around, almost surprised to see my friends still there. “Sister, may I introduce the lady Hecate, Daeira, and…”  
“Chloris, is that you? What are you doing here?”  
Chloris waved and blushed. “I was invited to help with a certain project and I decided to extend my visit.”  
“I mean no offense, but what could you possibly help with here?”  
She shrugged and I explained. “Something in Elysium, for me. I’d offer to show you but…” I trailed off as I sat in front of the mirror and Daeira took to my hair. “You’re welcome to take a seat. I’m sure Hecate could be persuaded to share some of the wine.”  
Athena nodded and sat next to her. Daeira pulled on a bit of my hair to get my attention and met my eyes in the mirror. “So, I think I’ve decided to do a bit of both. I’ll braid it away from your face, but leave most of it down. It won’t matter if it’s a bit damp right now. What do you think?”  
“It sounds wonderful. I trust your judgment,” I said, but started eyeing her when she reached for a string of garnets. “What are you doing with that?”  
“It’s going in your hair. I think it will look stunning.”  
I didn’t protest, but I thought that it might be a little too much with the jewels. My peplos had been sewn with them, I was wearing a massive necklace, and matching fibulae and arm bands. It might get a bit heavy if I was going to wear it for a prolonged period of time.  
“So, where do you come from, Daeira? You look…”  
“Dead?” Daeira offered. “I am. I was an Oceanid from Eleusis. I was there when Zeus…”  
Athena didn’t say anything for a moment. “I’m sorry.”  
“You didn’t do it. The tyrant did.” Daeira shook her head and finished pleating one side of my hair, moving to the other. “I remember when Persephone was an infant. It’s so strange, remembering that version of her, but seeing the current now. I see both at once. A child, now a bride.”  
I blushed but Athena nodded over her glass. “So do I. I had hoped she wouldn’t marry, but I suppose another woman is much better than a husband. Hestia, Artemis, and I never did.”  
Hecate raised her glass and clinked it against Athena’s. “Neither did I.”  
“You make it sound as though I shouldn’t be getting married.” I laughed, not really minding what they said. I hadn’t imagined I would ever marry, and now I was a bride, and I was happy.  
Markos cleared his throat from the hall. “It’s almost time. I’m to escort your guests to the ceremony.”  
“Oh, that would be us.” Hecate motioned to Athena and Chloris. “We’ll see you soon, Persephone.”  
They parted with cheek kisses and hugs of assurance. Daeira finished the last braid and tied them to the back before standing and retrieving some sandals.  
My eyes shone bright with excitement, but I was pale and my eyebrows were drawn together with worry. “It’s time already? Do I have everything? Do I need to bring everything? It just feels so sudden…”  
Daeira rubbed my back. “Take a deep breath, Persephone. Everything is fine. You look radiant and you are going to marry the love of your life, who, in all fairness, would probably be overjoyed to marry you even if you had rolled in a dead carcass. The ceremony will be small, just your friends, and a few of the elders to officiate it. Do you need me to…”  
“No, I got it,” I waved her off, took a few breaths, and put on my sandals. I stood and surveyed the room one last time. “Are you sure I don’t need anything? What if we get there and I was supposed to bring one of my childhood possessions or something?”  
“I’m positive.” She offered me her arm. “Shall we?”  
“Do you know where it is in this labyrinth of a palace?”  
“Of course! What kind of handmaiden would I be if I didn’t?”  
“Handmaiden?” I laughed. “You don’t strike me as a handmaiden.”  
“I know, I know, but it sounded less degrading than servant.”  
“How about friend?” I offered with a smile. “I’m glad you’re with me for this.”  
“There’s no place I’d rather be.”  
* * *  
We arrived at a closed door and I frowned.  
Daeira, clearly expecting me to hyperventilate and faint instead of frowning, cocked her head in confusion. “What’s wrong?”  
“I don’t think I’ve ever noticed this room. Even after all these months, after all my wandering, there are still parts of this place I still haven’t seen.”  
Daeira squeezed my air lightly. “I’ve grown to think of it like its own person. Is that strange?”  
“No, but it is symbolic.”  
She sighed heavily. “You’re not allowed to find symbolism in secrets on your wedding day. They’re waiting for us.”  
Before I could protest, she opened the door and ushered me inside. The room wasn’t large, but it was decorated with countless candles, the flames looking like the pinprick of stars on a clear night. Figures had been standing around the edges of the room and they all turned to look at me; Hecate, Athena, Chloris, Alecto, Thanatos, Hypnos, and Markos. The Moirai and Nyx stood at the front, waiting for me.  
Hades, standing in front of the elders, turned slowly, her black peplos shimmering with strands of silver, white diamonds catching the light. Her raven hair was woven and pinned up, her crown resting on top of it. When she saw me, a blinding smile grew on her face, so sweet it made my teeth hurt and my heart swell.  
My nerves were forgotten and dimly, I felt Daeira leave to stand beside the others. My feet moved me to Hades on impulse until my fingers met her outstretched hand and drew me closer.  
Her eyes were blazing and full of tears. I wiped them away with my thumb silently, not trusting myself to speak.  
“You look…” she began softly, whispering in my ear, “beyond what words can describe.”  
I grinned and blushed like a maiden.  
“We are proud of you, Praxidike,” the Moirai spoke together, pulling my attention away from Hades, as I suddenly remembered we had an audience.  
Nyx nodded in agreement with them. “Shall we begin?”  
“Yes,” I whispered softly, and felt Hades squeeze my hand.  
“Lady Persephone Praxidike, formly Kore, do you acknowledge your marriage to Hades Aidoneus Katachthonios in all capacities, personal and legal?”  
I tried to clear my throat as quietly as possible before speaking. “I do.”  
“And you, Hades? Do you recognize Persephone as your legal and formal wife, and share all of what you own?”  
“I do.” I watched her mouth form the words, transfixed as if it was a spell.  
“Persephone, do you acknowledge your responsibilities as a wife? To love, cherish, protect, and defend Hades?”  
I raised an accusatory eyebrow at Hades, who started shaking with contained laughter. “I suppose I do.”  
Someone groaned in our audience, and we ignored them.  
“Hades, do you acknowledge your responsibilities to your marriage? To love, cherish, protect, and defend Persephone? To provide for her needs and treat her as equal?”  
“I do.”  
“Persephone, do you acknowledge your responsibilities as a queen? To protect and defend the Underworld? To care for its people as if they were your own children? To uphold its laws and be fair and just with your own? To never abuse or forsake it for personal ambitions?”  
“I do.”  
“Hades, do you acknowledge her claim as Queen of the Underworld? To share the burden of the crown with another in all capacities?”  
“I do.”  
The Moirai handed something to Nyx. “Then, raise your hand, both of you.”  
I raised my left and Hades raised her right. Nyx slashed a dagger down our palms in quick succession, and our ichor began to weep from the cuts. She joined our hands together, our blood mixing, and bound them with rope.  
“Kneel,” she instructed, and the Moirai handed her something else that rested on a pillow.  
I couldn’t see it from where I knelt, but when Nyx removed it and held it in the air, I was forced to contain a gasp.  
A crown identical in design to Hades, except cast of lighter gold and inlaid with red and black jewels. It felt surprisingly light when Nyx placed it on my head, but a stone had formed a pit in my stomach instead when the gravity of the situation came rushing back to me, the responsibility of ruling a realm, to dedicate myself to a cause larger than I.  
“Now, with witnesses of fate and friends, I hereby bind you in marriage, forever, and pronounce Persephone Praxidike Katachthonia, new Queen of the Underworld.” Nyx stepped away and waved us off. “Do with it what you will.”  
Hades used her free hand to tip my chin up, her eyes smoldering like coals. “No one will love you more than I. You could do anything you wished to me, scorn me, tire of me, punish me for all my transgressions towards you. I will gladly bear all your cruelty and your malice, but never desert me. I could bear anything, everything, but that,” she whispered, and kissed me.  
She felt like fire under my touch, burning so brightly, so hotly, I feared as if I would put her out. The way our ichor mixed in our palms seared us together with startling finality, like a key fitting into its lock.  
Distantly, I heard our friends clap, and the soft sound of sandals moving away.  
Hades stood with me and raised our bound hands up, using her free hand to unwind the rope so gently I ached. Without taking her eyes off me, she lifted my arm and licked where the ichor had run down to my elbow, her tongue sliding up to my wrist until her chin was smeared golden.   
I took her wounded hand to my lips, my tongue running over the clean cut until I felt it close under me. I had never tasted ichor before, it was a very personal act, and considered almost taboo in Olympus. It tasted sweet and clear, heady and intoxicating, thrumming of her power. Hades was breathing heavily and I looked up to see her watching me, the flames of the Phlegethon reflecting behind her irises.  
I kissed her forcefully, our tongues coated with ichor, clear and sweet and slow, until I pulled back and laughed.  
“Hades, we’re married!” I laughed as she kissed my throat.  
“We are indeed, my love,” Hades slowly wiped the ichor away from my mouth with her thumb, and I teasingly ran my tongue over it.  
“I love you,” I murmured.  
“You are a cruel woman to do this to me when we are expected elsewhere.” She tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear, eyes flitting up to my crown.  
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I fit my fingers through hers with our newly healed hands. “After all, it wasn’t me that decided to have an abstinence policy up until the wedding.”  
Hades pressed her lips to my ear. “It will make tonight so much sweeter.”  
I shivered. “Now who’s cruel?”  
She ran her lips over my knuckles and smiled. “We should go. They are expecting us.”  
“I don’t dare ask who because I know you won’t answer.” I let her lead me out of the room and down the hall.  
“Do you like your crown?”  
“I love it.”  
“I had Hephaestus make it, like I promised.”  
“Did Athena bring it for you?”  
“Ah, my other wedding present for you. Yes, she did. Are you happy she’s here?”  
“I am. I was so surprised when she came to my room, I thought I was dreaming. I still feel like I’m dreaming, actually.”  
“I know what you mean, but I assure you, we are not. If by chance we are, I’ll wake up and marry you again.” Hades looked ahead. “Ah, there you are, Markos! Is everything ready?”  
“It is.” He nodded, and opened the door.  
Light and music spilled out onto us. After an excited grin, Hades looked ahead and we stepped forward together.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the official wedding ceremony completed, Hades and Persephone celebrate with the Underworld, before moving on to perform the hieros gamos.

The room, if it could be called that, was impressively massive, even for Hades’ standards. Candles floated in the air and torches lined the walls, tables and tables of food and drink were lined up in perfect placement, large arrangements of flowers were set in calculated spots, musicians were located in a corner, and people danced in front of them. People… so many people!  
From where we were located above on the grand staircase, I couldn’t see anyone specific, but my heart thudded in my chest. Hades gave my hand another squeeze of assurance.  
The musicians stopped playing, their music fading into silence, and everyone turned and raised their heads to look at us.  
“I am pleased so many of you were able to join us on this momentous day, to partake and share in my joy and love.” Hades’ voice rang out loudly but perfectly clear. “May I have the pleasure of introducing my new wife, and your new Queen of the Underworld, and the one true ruler of Tartarus… Persephone Praxidike Katachthonia.”  
One by one, the people beneath us knelt, their heads dropping to their chests.  
“She is my equal in every way, who will rule with me, not under me, who will rule completely in my absence, and who you can approach with any matters as you would me.”  
I was stunned, but Hades turned my chin to look at her, beaming, and kissed me on the mouth, while everyone knelt below us and couldn’t see it. “This is for you, my love. All of this is yours. Now greet them, as their queen.”  
I pulled away from her, swallowing. “Please, all of you, you may stand. I have never been accustomed to such formalities, nor exactly comfortable by them.” I shot a dark glance to Hades. “Truthfully, I am in awe and so grateful for your acceptance of me. I have never… I have never been in a position such as this, but I want to assure you, I take this crown and the responsibility of it seriously. Not only have I pledged myself to Hades, I have pledged my life to the Underworld and its people. I have pledged to protect it from danger, wherever that danger may come from. I have pledged to never abandon it.” I took a deep breath. “And I vow on the Styx, on the very river and goddess my marriage was sworn upon, that I will hold to those promises forever.”  
Our audience started clapping, a thunderous applause of so many people, and even a few hoots and whistles, but those were from the twins. I broke out into a grin, Hades wiped a tear away from my eye before it fell, and kissed me again. They clapped even harder.  
I laughed into her mouth as she spun me around, dipped me until I had to hold my crown to keep it from slipping, and pulled me back up into a tight embrace.  
“Thank you,” I called out to our subjects. “Please, relax and have fun.”  
Music resumed as Hades and I descended the stairs. Our close friends greeted us at the bottom, and the twins were pretending to sob.  
“You look so wonderful, so gorgeous, so dazzling…” Hypnos cried, leaning on his brother.  
“We’re so jealous of you, Hades. I’d trade all my limbs to be in your place.”  
“You can keep them.” Hades grinned and kissed my cheek.  
“There are so many people here…” I looked around in awe. “We’ll have to greet them?”  
“Most of them, we should, just to be polite. They want to meet you.”  
Hecate snapped her fingers and a bunch of her Lampades danced up to us, offering us cups. “Nectar?” she offered. “It is a special occasion.”  
We all took cups; the twins, Hecate, Chloris, Athena, Alecto, Hades, and I.  
“To Hades and Persephone!”  
We drank and they dispersed after they gave us their best wishes. I leaned against Hades, enjoying the feeling of her arm wrapped around my waist.  
“And to a fated love that grew in the most unexpected place,” I murmured into her neck as I stroked her arm lightly.  
“Would you like to dance?”  
“For a song or two. We can’t forget about our guests, despite how easy that might be.”  
“So responsible, alright.” Hades pulled me into the crowd of people dancing and we swayed to the slow music of some lyres and flutes. Our guests gave us a wide berth and I felt eyes on us, flashes of countless smiles, the smell of wine and roasted meat, laughter and music.  
“Point people out to me,” I whispered into her hair.  
She giggled. “To think I thought you would actually let me enjoy this.”  
“It seems as though we’ve switched places. We marry and you no longer wish to be responsible?”  
“On my wedding day? Absolutely not.”  
“I don’t wish to seem foolish if I don’t know anyone.”  
She sighed but obliged. “The Underworld river gods are all here. Styx is on the far wall, speaking to Phlegethon and Lethe. Acheron and his wife, Gorgyra, are talking to Cocytus and a few of his daughters, the Cocythiae.”  
“Who is that by the refreshments talking to a few of the Oneiroi?”  
“Epiales, daimon of nightmares.”  
“And those two men at the table? Dark hair and beards?”  
“Menoetius and his father, Ceuthonymus.”  
I took a deep breath as we spun around, surveying the crowd. I saw the judges, the Arae and the Erinyes, Thanatos and the Keres, Daeira and Chloris, Nyx and Erebus speaking with Hemera and Charon, Hypnos drinking wine with his sons, Hecate laughing with Athena as her entourage of Lampades, Empusai, Mormolykeia, and Lamiae circled around them. I was surprised to see a great many others, including Achlys, Melinoe, Eurynomos, the Moirai, Ascalaphus, and the other river gods Hades had pointed out earlier.  
I turned my attention back to Hades, my hand sliding down her back, as we continued to dance to the music. She sighed and closed her eyes contentedly. “Can this never end?”  
“I suppose if we really wanted to we could have a wedding every day, over and over again, but I think our guests might get tired of our happiness eventually.”  
She laughed into my hair and pulled me closer, into an embrace. We stopped dancing in the middle of everyone around us. I raised my hands to her face and kissed her lightly on the mouth, repeatedly. “Are we done dancing?”  
“We should move out of the way, then.” I took her hand and pulled us closer to the edge of the room.  
Styx approached with the other river gods. “I don’t mean to interrupt anything, but I believe some introductions are in order. May I introduce Phlegethon, Lethe, Cocytus, Acheron, and Gorgyra.”  
I nodded to her and the others. “A pleasure to see you again, and to meet all of you finally.”  
“Yes,” Hades nodded. “I’m glad you all decided to attend.”  
Lethe stared at me with a very blank expression. “We felt you, when you first arrived, but we didn’t know what you were.”  
Cocytus interrupted her before she could continue. “Some of us don’t leave our rivers, or take on these forms, very often anymore. Forgive us if we are not as polite as we should be.”  
“It’s quite alright.”  
“Invoking my name in your speech? Commendable, if not a bit theatrical. I hope you meant it.” Styx smiled at me, but it revealed nothing.  
“Of course I meant it.”  
“I’m happy to see this marriage through, from the first oath, to now. I wish you both happiness.”  
“Thank you, my friend,” Hades nodded and touched her arm before the river gods departed.  
“That wasn’t too bad,” I remarked.  
“Shall we get on with more, then?”  
Hades swept me around the room, making introductions, mediating conversations, leading me tactfully from group to group. We came upon Phobetor and Epiales talking about the meanings they put behind the nightmares they create, while the other Oneiroi and Hypnos drank away our wine supply. The judges had beckoned us over and gave us more emotional and intimate congratulations than I was comfortable with, but I obliged them. Achlys and Melinoe had been speaking quietly to one another alone and wished us well before politely dismissing us, but I didn’t mind because I could feel their power starting to dampen my spirits. Ascalaphus had joined Menoetius and Ceuthonymus and they talked about their duties, Hades had some inquiries about the orchard and the cattle, but I never did catch what Ceuthonymus did. Anaplekte, Nosos, and a few other Keres were teasing Thanatos while holding plates of food.  
“How does the mortal world look now?” I grinned, catching a bit of their conversation.  
“We’re still cleaning up his mess.” Nosos punched Thanatos’ arm.  
He rubbed the area. “How many times do I have to apologize?”  
Anaplekte laughed. “Many, many more times.”  
“I don’t think you’ll ever be able to live it down, my friend,” Hades said solemnly, her eyes twinkling.  
“The mortals won’t forget it. What a story it will make, how a human king captured death and single-handedly preventing everyone from dying.”  
“Single-handedly?” Thanatos gasped. “I’m wounded you think so low of me! It was certainly not Sisyphus alone.”  
“Oh?” I arched my eyebrow. “It looked that way to us.”  
“I’m sure it did,” he huffed, “after Ares slew all the soldiers, guards, and townspeople alike.”  
“I didn’t see that many bodies of guards and soldiers…” Nosos sounded bored.  
“Be quiet! At least I notice when my siblings are missing for days at a time…”  
Hades chuckled and began to steer me away. “I think we’ll leave you to your disagreements…”  
The Moirai intercepted us and Atropos spoke first. “We will be leaving shortly. We thought we should tell you.”  
“Thank you for inviting us,” Clotho offered. I think it was her way of trying to be polite, but her voice was still as flat and unnerving as ever.  
“We would have come anyway. We like to be present at important fixed points in fate, when we can.”  
“And this is an important fixed point?” I asked.  
Lachesis tilted her head to the side, confused. “Of course. All possibilities led to this wedding. If Zeus had not pushed you to flee, perhaps Hades would have courted you in a more formal way until you accepted her proposal and came to live here, or perhaps Hades would have taken you, and you would have been furious, but you would have forgiven her. All possibilities led to you loving her, regardless of what happened.”  
I frowned. “I don’t know if I like that.”  
Hades kissed me on the cheek. “I do.”  
“That’s hardly surprising.”  
I felt Nyx and Erebus approach us before I turned to look for them, only to find Charon and Hemera trailing behind. Nyx took the time to kiss me and Hades on the cheek. “We’re very happy for you, aren’t we?”  
Erebus smiled. “We are. Congratulations.”  
“Thank you for coming,” Hades touched his shoulder lightly before turning back to Nyx. “And thank you for your help in the ceremony.”  
“I was pleased you asked. It’s been so long since I presided over a wedding. I used to, if you remember correctly, before Hera did, but perhaps even you are too young for that, Hades.”  
“A bit. We were all roughly the same age, and grew into our powers together after…”  
“Ah, apologies!” Nyx interrupted. “I did not mean to make you think of such things.”  
“I remember, if it makes you feel better, Mother.” Hemera took a step around her.  
“It’s lovely to see you again, Hemera. Forgive me for not visiting when you’re here,” Hades kissed her on the cheek quickly.  
“I can see you’ve been very busy.” Hemera looked over to me, grinning. “It’s nice to meet you, Persephone.”  
“Haven’t we met already?” I asked, confused. “We must have met in Olympus, at least once.”  
“Never formally, I think. You look wonderful.”  
I blushed. “Thank you! You look…” I glanced between her and her parents, taking in her honey blonde hair, yellow peplos, and bright blue eyes. “Different than them.”  
They laughed and Hemera turned to Nyx. “I always get that, don’t I? I’m not blessed with our line’s dark hair like the twins or Charon.” It was Charon’s turn to blush and it made him look so young. “But neither was Aether, or Philotes.”  
“Point taken,” I said happily. “And how are you doing, Charon? I’m pleasantly surprised to see you here.”  
“Enjoying my break.” Charon busied himself with getting a drink and some food.  
“It was more than well-earned. Have fun, my friend.” Hades turned to me. “Well, I had planned on speaking to Eurynomos, but it seems he’s left already. Shall we pause to eat?”  
“That sounds wonderful. I’m not even entirely sure how you managed all of this.” I swept my hand over to the long tables piled high with all kinds of food imaginable; roasted meat, honey, fruit, vegetables, breads, and sweets.  
“It was a bit more difficult than it would have been under… different circumstances, but nothing is impossible,” Hades winked and grabbed a plate, helping herself to the fruits of her labor. “Have whatever you want, please.”  
It had been so long since I had seen any sort of selection like this, and even longer since I allowed myself the pleasure, but it was my wedding and I could be as frivolous as I wanted. When I had finished picking what I wanted, I sat down at the head table next to Hades. Some Lampades came over and poured us glasses of wine as our family sat around us.  
Hypnos spoke around a mouth full of food. “Can you have weddings more often?”  
Hades chuckled. “We actually entertained the idea.”  
I made a sound of protest. “Be quiet, I was only jesting.”  
“Please, for all our sakes, ignore him. This was too much work to have to recreate more than once,” Daeira sighed, watching us eat and drink.  
Hecate nodded her agreement. “You can’t listen to someone who hardly helped at all. If you want another party like this, do it yourself and we can talk afterwards.”  
Hypnos concentrated on his food while we laughed, and eventually turned back to our own.  
Everything was delicious, but I didn’t overindulge myself, as the Olympians were prone to. I never did see the appeal of eating so much you got sick, so I stopped when I was full. I reached to pour myself another glass of wine, but stopped after a heavy stare from Hecate.  
Thanatos asked me something that I missed while I had withered under Hecate’s glare that must have been lewd in one way or another, because of their reaction after I said, “Sorry, I missed it, can you repeated what you said?”  
The twins stopped for a moment, dead silent, and then started howling with laughter. I turned to Hades, a question poised on my lips, and she shook her head, her eyes glimmering with humor.  
“Well, I’m certainly glad all of you can laugh at my expense, and won’t tell me what about.”  
“Persephone, it seems you’re wanted,” Hades prompted and turned her chin to direct my attention to the Erinyes, who were speaking to each other and looking over in our direction.  
I stood and crossed the room to where Alecto and her sisters were standing. Smiling and kissing Alecto on the cheek, I said, “It’s almost strange seeing the three of you together at one time.”  
“Only for special occasions, I believe,” Megaera snatched a glass of wine from the tray carried by a servant who passed by.  
“Congratulations, Persephone,” Tisiphone nodded.  
“I’m happy all of you were able to make it.”  
“We’re just happy something is finally happening here. The Underworld is usually so… dead.” Megaera sniffed the glass before taking a drink.  
Tisiphone grinned. “I heard Hades had the servants make up several rooms in case a few people got too… inebriated.”  
“It looks like Persephone’s friends are nearly at that point already,” Alecto nodded back to the twins.  
“Oh! That reminds me!” I exclaimed. “Hecate finally told me why you don’t like them! What a story.”  
“I thought it was rather obvious,” Megaera said dryly.  
“It’s always sex when it comes to them.”  
“You wouldn’t really have killed them, would you?”  
Alecto laughed. “Of course not. We knew someone would intervene, whether it be Hades, or their mother. They always like to hide behind their skirts.”  
“But,” Tisiphone added, “we weren’t above a little maiming.”  
“Their fear was intoxicating. I still think of it sometimes. Much better than anything either of them had to offer in bed.”  
“And when I first met you, you were outside Hypnos’ place, saying something about offering an engagement, I believe.”  
Alecto actually blushed as her sisters turned to look at her. “Now you’ve done it, Persephone. It was a moment of weakness! A woman has needs!”  
“I’d hardly stoop that low. If you like the way they look, you have any of the Oneiroi to choose from.”  
Tisiphone laughed. “I heard from one of the Arae that Persephone had the pleasure of walking in on that, once.”  
“Unfortunately, but I did find it amusing that he apologized to me.”  
“I don’t see why we’re focusing on my sex life,” Alecto started, her tone clearly annoyed, “when we should be talking about Persephone’s.”  
And just like that, Alecto got her sisters to converge on me instead. Their eyes shined with interest.  
“Ah, yes, consummating the marriage later tonight.”  
“Believe me,” I said calmly. “It’s already consummated.”  
“But the hieros gamos! That’s certainly different.”  
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t remind me.”  
“Is someone nervous?” Alecto grinned.  
Her sisters nodded. “I believe she is.”  
“Worried it won’t work?”  
I frowned. “I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”  
“We’ve hit a nerve!”  
“I don’t suppose any of you have done it, either, or you wouldn’t be so interested.”  
They looked absolutely appalled.  
“Of course not!” Megaera exclaimed.  
“Why would we want to tie ourselves down to anyone in such a way?” Tisiphone asked, shuddering. “It’s an invasion of privacy, if you ask me.”  
I turned to her, cocking my head to the side. “What do you mean?”  
Alecto touched my arm. “Persephone, would you dance with me?”  
“I know what you’re trying to do, Alecto,” I glanced back at Tisiphone, narrowing my eyes. “But fine. I’ll allow you to distract me.”  
“She sounds so cheerful, doesn’t she?” Alecto asked, throwing her head back in a laugh and leading me into the crowd of dancers.  
She took the lead, which didn’t surprise me at all, and settled one hand on my waist. I took the hand she offered and our dancing began to flow into the music. She held me close.  
“This is nice,” I murmured into her shoulder. “I don’t think I ever thought about dancing with you.”  
“No? Why is that?”  
“I much prefer sparring.”  
She chuckled into my hair. “So do I.”  
The musicians ended their song, and began a new one, but we kept dancing.  
“Is this hard for you?” I finally asked.  
Alecto didn’t reply immediately. “I’m happy for you.”  
“Are you?”  
“Yes. I don’t think it ever would have worked between us. I don’t think…” She sighed, trailing off. “You know a little of what powers the Erinyes receive, how we can peer into souls and see their desires, their regrets. We can’t really control it, so we know… We know what people want. We know what we can do to be desirable, and we adapt our behavior to that without really meaning to. I think it helps us with finding people we are sent after.”  
“Alecto…”  
“Just let me finish,” Alecto said softly. “I was a friend to you, in a more intimate way than anyone around you here. You confided in me and I kept your secrets. You could trust me, when you couldn’t trust anyone else. I was there to help you, guide you, give you what you needed. I didn’t do it to be manipulative, I wanted to be there for you, but I know… I know what I’m like and what my sisters are like. I don’t think it’s fair to anyone we become… involved with. That’s why we don’t get involved romantically. My sisters knew what was happening and they refrained from interfering, for the most part.”  
I stiffened. “I’m not sure what to say.”  
“Are you upset with me?”  
“I don’t know. No? Should I be?”  
“Maybe, but I’m glad you aren’t.”  
“I’m glad you came.”  
“I said I would. I’m just astonished that Athena was able to come. I wouldn’t want to miss this. Clearly, she didn’t either. Besides, you look… amazing, dignified.”  
I laughed. “Dignified?”  
“A true royal.”  
“Hopefully not too royal. I don’t want to be like Hera.”  
“You won’t be. You aren’t. Just do as you promised.” Alecto paused, grinning. “If you don’t, I could be sent to hunt you down now.”  
“Consider me thoroughly motivated.”  
“Shall we spar again sometime soon?”  
“Of course! We can’t allow me to lose my touch, can we?”  
“Naturally.”  
I was tapped on the shoulder and I turned to see Chloris. She smiled brightly. “Hello, may I have a turn with the bride?”  
Alecto stepped away. “You may. Far be it from me to be selfish. We’ll talk soon, okay, Persephone?”  
“Sounds lovely.” I waved her away and took the lead with Chloris. “Are you enjoying yourself?”  
“I am! It’s quite marvelous. This is everything I wished I had when…”  
“I understand.”  
“Are you having fun? It’s your wedding, after all.”  
“I am. It doesn’t feel quite real, for some reason. I don’t think there should be such… formality, for me, but I suppose this is what I agreed to, as Hecate said earlier.”  
“Just remember to cherish it.”  
“I will.” I glanced around us. “Have you been making friends?”  
“I’ve tried. The Oneiroi are quite interesting, as are the Cocythiae. River nymphs in the Underworld? What do they even do?”  
I laughed. “Honestly, I have no idea. You can’t really grow much here.”  
“I’ve noticed. I’m surprised so many people are here. I’m surprised Athena is.”  
“I was surprised, too, but I’m so happy she could attend.”  
“Don’t you think it’s odd?”  
“What do you mean?”  
“I know the Olympians are forbidden from entering the Underworld because of the risks, so why was she allowed to come?”  
“Because she’s my closest sister. She’s not a threat.”  
“But usually she’s incredibly busy, and can’t easily slip away without others noticing, especially your father. Isn’t it a bit suspicious?”  
“I appreciate your concern for my well-being, Chloris, but if there was any time Athena wouldn’t be a threat, it would be now. Just look at her.”  
Chloris frowned and looked over my shoulder. “I suppose. Just be cautious.”  
“I am. I’m safer here than anywhere else. I’m with people who could easily protect me, old gods, death gods, any of them. I’m more powerful now than I ever imagined I could be. I can protect myself.”  
She gave me a tight smile. “I’m glad.”  
Athena approached us and I had to fight to not give her the guilty grin I usually used when I was a child. I hoped she hadn’t overheard my comment about her appearance. “Hello, Chloris, Persephone… may I cut in?”  
I let go of Chloris and moved to Athena. “Just like old times?”  
She grinned. “I’m glad you’ve not forgotten those lessons, either.”  
We stepped into the music together. “How could I? After all the times I stepped on your toes?”  
Athena shuddered, closing her eyes in memory. “Don’t remind me. I can still feel the pain.”  
I laughed and playfully pushed at her. “Oh, it wasn’t that bad.”  
“You were only as tall as my waist then. Look at you now.”  
“Don’t turn to melancholy now!”  
“I wasn’t! Like your nymph said earlier, it’s strange to see you now, and still have the memories of you as a child.”  
“I remember you from my childhood. You were always so big, so awe-inspiring when I was younger.”  
“Am I not now? I’m wounded!” Athena chuckled lightly. “But I know. You thought the world of me, and I doted on you.”  
“Thank you for being there for me when Demeter wasn’t.”  
“Our brothers and sisters were always there for you, Persephone. Artemis and Apollo taught you archery. Aphrodite helped you grow confident, and learn to take pride in taking caring of yourself. Hermes took you flying and I remember how you would squeal with glee. Hephaestus made you rings for your little fingers, and your first sword. Dionysus, well, I didn’t let him teach you anything until you were much older, and I am still not happy about it. Your wine tolerance is… formidable.” She paused and we both laughed.  
“What I’m trying to say, is that you shouldn’t throw the happy memories of them away because of recent events, even if it makes it easier to bear.”  
“It’s hard, when I know what they may…”  
“I know, and I am so sorry for it.” We spun around. “Well, at least one person from your past in Olympus is here, too. I was quite shocked to see Chloris. You said she was summoned to help with something in Elysium?”  
“Yes, Elysium is not like the rest of the Underworld. It’s almost like the mortal world, but more calm. We can grow things there. Hades wanted to give me a garden there, a space of my own to go to if the Underworld became too unbearable for me.”  
“Has it?”  
“Would I have sworn myself to stay here and protect it if it had?”  
Athena smiled. “No, of course not. So, I assume Hades wanted it to be a surprise, and asked Chloris to help?”  
“Yes, and then she asked to stay, and I let her. She rarely ever leaves Elysium. I think she may be having… difficulties with Zephyrus.”  
Athena’s gaze narrowed slightly as she thought. “I had heard rumors about her in Olympus recently, but they must be nonsense.” She didn’t look as if she truly believed what she said.  
I was intrigued. “Oh?”  
“I don’t want to repeat them if they must be false. That would be pointless.”  
“Ever so logical,” I chuckled.  
“Well, someone in this family has to be.”  
The music ended and Athena stopped dancing. “I think you’ve been kept away by your friends long enough. You should go back to your wife.”  
“Thank you, sister. I hope you’ve enjoyed yourself here.”  
She nodded and I turned back to where Hades was still sitting with our family. She beamed at me as I approached. The twins were slumped in their chairs, but raised their heads to look at me. They raised their glasses in a toast and downed the contents, their eyes hazy and unfocused, dazed grins on their faces. Hecate watched them disdainfully.  
I sat down next to Hades. “Are they… okay? Should we stop them?”  
“Oh, we definitely should, but they’ve been entertaining.”  
“How so?”  
“They have been describing different positions in which I could… please you,” Hades paused to grin, “but they seem to keep forgetting that I lack certain equipment.”  
“Then it’s certainly time for them to stop.” I looked around and saw Markos hovering in the corner. “Markos, can you see to them? I think it’s time for them to get some rest.”  
“Very well, my lady.” He motioned over to a few other servants, and then looked to Daeira.  
“What? I don’t want to deal with them.”  
Markos sighed heavily and let the servants pick up the twins. They were so intoxicated they hardly even protested.  
Hecate stood. “I think it might be time for me to retire as well. The guests have started leaving, or are being shown to available rooms. Daeira and Markos can see that everyone finds their way.”  
Daeira nodded, and stood up as well. “Have fun, you two.”  
“Yes. Do you remember the vows?”  
“I do,” I said, and Hades agreed, taking my hand beneath the table.  
“Best of luck, then.” Hecate winked and faded into the group of her followers.  
Hades and I watched as the crowd of our guests thinned, my head on her shoulder. Markos and Daeira directed people by the doors, pointing directions and orders, and flocks of servants helped guide the guests away. The music stopped. Everything became hushed, and I didn’t feel like speaking. I was content, joyous in a way I had never felt before, and I didn’t want to disrupt it.  
Hades shifted slightly. “Your crown is digging into my cheek.”  
I jerked back, my hand flying up to it. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t even realize.”  
She laughed. “It’s fine. I know it takes awhile before you become accustomed to it.” She leaned in and kissed me on the mouth lightly. “How are you feeling?”  
“Happy. Amazed. Tired.”  
Hades leaned in again, but brushed her lips across my cheek to my ear. “Not too tired, I hope.”  
I shivered. I suddenly wasn’t tired anymore.  
* * *  
The night had been… indescribable.  
We entered the grove in Elysium, found the ritual site Hecate had prepared, and found ourselves, finally, mercifully alone. The strange pattern of the circle, its runes and symbols, looked undisturbed, but an opaque pitcher sat next to it. We stood quietly and took it in.  
After the ceremony and the celebrations, I was so elated it felt as if I was floating through a dream, something so blissful it could not be real… but it was.  
Hades turned to me, her eyes smoldering and grounding me in that moment with her, reminding me of the weight and reality of our plans, and set me aflame all at once. We knelt in the center of the circle silently, gazes never straying as we slowly disrobed all of our finery from earlier, baring ourselves to each other. Without the weight of the fabric of my peplos and the jewels sewn in, the jewelry lining my neck and my biceps, I could finally breathe. Our crowns came off last, another pang to remind me that we were now officially king and queen, lord and lady, equals in every way. Hades lifted mine gently, careful not to catch my hair, and set it next to the rest of our things in the grass. I did the same for her, the metal of her crown warm to the touch, flowing with her energy.  
Elysium darkened to dusk around us, fireflies twinkling like stars, as we said the sacred vows Hecate had taught us. Hades took the pitcher and poured its contents, water from the river Styx, over our heads while we faced each other. The water was painfully cold, like ice pressed into my skin, reminding us of its binding power.  
When we finished the vows and the water dripped from our hair into the earth, Hades turned my chin up to her. “Let go of all doubt, all fear, all boundaries, as I have done for you… as I will always do for you. You must be utterly free and open if the hieros gamos is to work.”  
I hesitated for a moment, which couldn’t be helped, but Hades’ eyes were bottomless with their kindness and patience. After everything that had happened between us, fate and circumstance and secrets and withheld information and misused trust and resentment and anger… I took a deep breath and let all of it go. I understood her actions even if I didn’t agree, but it did not matter because everything that had occurred, good or bad, led us to that exact moment, for which I was unendingly grateful.  
“Yes, Hades. My thoughts are yours. My love is yours. My secrets are yours. Everything I am is yours, and you are mine.” I released the grip on my power, both of them, and they rolled out of me like a wave.  
Hades did the same. “We are one. Where I end and where you end is indeterminable.” She kissed me, the water of the Styx bitter between our mouths, but it suddenly turned heady and intoxicating as her breath came into my being and my breath blew into hers.  
Everything came into focus, each blade of grass under my knees, her fingertips on my cheek, her power colliding and caressing mine. Heat began to build low in my abdomen despite how she was only kissing me, but then I realized I could feel her arousal; a distant but approaching sensation. I kissed her harder, my tongue exploring her mouth, our short exchanges of breath became a force in itself. I pushed her softly back onto the grass, pausing to kiss her neck, feeling her pounding pulse match my own, how her legs had already started quivering in excitement and anticipation. As I kissed her pulse again, I heard a faint voice.  
Please… gods, yes…. I love you I love you I love you… my queen, my wife, my goddess…  
I could hear Hades’ thoughts, the revelation only a distant shock because my thoughts were slipping from my mind entirely. Our control was slowly dissipating as our consciousness started to seep beyond our forms…  
Into the earth of Elysium, feeling the trees and grass around us as my power of life had attuned me to, but even more heightened.  
So this is what it’s like for her…  
And then beyond Elysium, to the very bones of the Underworld, to the buildings Hades had erected from stone, all humming of her essence, to the flowing rivers of fire and ice and pain and oblivion, to the separate realms, to the souls screaming, searching, waiting… no doubt what Hades sensed every moment of the day.  
When we finally joined together, bodies and mouths and limbs tangled and inseparable, we were no longer two people.  
Our minds expanded to the earth and sky above, to the mortals sleeping or working or living or dying, to fish gliding silently through water, to birds soaring through the clouds… to the pit below us, an unending stretch of nothingness that was no longer foreign or frightening to me.  
Nothing was unreachable with our minds, nothing too vast or too small.  
I love you I love you Persephone gods how could I ever be so blessed…  
My love… I wasn’t sure if I said it aloud as we made love in Elysium, as we fell into abyss, as we soared through the skies on wide wings, as we sunk deep into weightless oceans, as we were stars in the heavens watching it all happen from above.  
No longer Hades, no longer Persephone no longer goddesses, no longer beings contained to one form.  
We could have been in that state for eons, the end of the world could have came and went unnoticed by us. Time was nothing we could grasp or experience.  
We witnessed the creation and the end, birth of all life and the death of it, glorious explosions of color and emotion and rock and gas and stars raining down from a shattered sky and the ground crumbling beneath as we fell deeper and deeper into an abyss of nothing, or everything.  
Fading understanding as everything climaxed in bright flashes of sound and sensation and sight, until we were spent, formless and shapeless, unending beings, kissing and loving and flying and swimming and falling all at the same time.  
We drifted into blessed oblivion together.  
The following morning was also surreal. When I stirred, I could feel the cool grass beneath me and Hades legs still tangled with mine. The sun warmed my face and chest as I lazily stroked my fingers over what felt like Hades’ waist while I enjoyed the haze of sleep and fulfillment, savoring the moment before I could bring myself to open my eyes.  
My mind poured over the events of yesterday, the private ceremony, the following celebrations, and the impossible ritual we accomplished.  
The hieros gamos… it had worked.  
I could feel Hades next to me, not just her body, but her presence was a new weight upon my consciousness. I could sense her restful sleeping and I explored further, past her dreams of sunshine and flowers which looked suspiciously like a memory of mine, and avoided distant feelings of horror and rage and terror still left over from the Titanomachy. I didn’t pry at those parts of her. Those were her war stories and hers alone, something private I could never understand. My love prevented me from making her tell them and relive those dark days. Deeper, I realized that through her I could hear the residents of the Underworld, although it was very distant and dim… but the residents of Tartarus and the Titans were silent.  
I smiled.  
I opened my eyes, squinting through the bright sunlight, and sat up slowly, trying not to disturb Hades. Regardless, I felt her dreams crumble as she stirred next to me.  
Our powers must have dissipated some time during the night on their own accord, but all around us were rolling hills of narcissus and asphodel flowers and the fruit trees were all simultaneously in full bloom and fruiting, the various kinds ready to be plucked from laden branches.  
Look at what our union has done, look at what we made together, my wife, my love, my twin soul…  
“We?” Hades asked aloud.  
You can still hear my thoughts?  
Of course, philtate, the hieros gamos has linked our souls and minds together.  
I finally turned back to her to take in her moonstone skin and raven hair illuminated by the sunlight, and I giggled.  
Hades’ brows came together in confusion as she sat up. “What?”  
I leaned forward and kissed her on the mouth, but my hands raised to her hair and pulled out sticks and blades of grass.  
I like this look on you.  
Hades smiled through a returned kiss and retrieved some debris from my hair lovingly. As if we are both nymphs, carefree and wild, but the flowers are your doing… they have always been your doing.  
Oh, Hades. I couldn’t help it; I laughed as I placed my hand on her breastbone. “I can’t believe you haven’t noticed. Through you, I can hear the souls, I can feel the Underworld as I never have before, because you are bound and I am not. That is your power, now accessible to me.” I coaxed her consciousness towards me and her head tilted backwards as her eyes closed. This was far more intimate than we had ever been, with anyone, because we were twin souls, joined again by the hieros gamos. Ghostly and distant whispering filled my ears before I retreated from her mind.  
“And through me… I can feel you inside me, Hades, tapping into my well of power without your knowing. It is like that for me, too… An unconscious thing. Don’t worry about draining it, you don’t know how to wield any sort of majority of it, not yet.” I smiled. “Look below you.”  
She looked down and gasped. I had known without looking that new grass was springing up from the earth where she was touching it. She stuck her finger into the ground and her brows drew together in concentration as I felt her pull more of the power out of me, and before my eyes, a narcissus grew and bloomed.  
I felt a flood of emotions crash through Hades; confusion leading to shock, shock dissolving into disbelief, disbelief solidifying into breathtaking joy.  
She looked up at me with eyes full of tears and she launched herself into my arms, kissing me over and over again.  
I have never been able to grow anything myself, even here in Elysium, everything about me well and truly lifeless, but now… This is because of you. This is all because of you. Her thoughts dissolved into fragments of sentences, more feeling than words.  
Love.  
Adoration.  
Trust.  
Completion.  
Joy.  
We made love over and over again in Elysium, testing new boundaries and exploring previously hidden depths. Waves of her power and mine were no longer separate but flowing together as one, darkness streaked with golden green light, flowers growing and blooming and wilting and dying and repeating in endless, rapid cycles as the day soared on and on.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hades and Persephone wade through unexpected effects caused by the hieros gamos and Persephone receives news that a friend is leaving.

The following days after the wedding had been reserved for absolutely no work or mention of duties or obligations, spent almost entirely in bed. When we finally returned to the palace in the evening, tired and smeared with dirt, our clothes and hair disheveled and decorated with twigs and leaves, Hades took us to her rooms and showed me that she had the servants move my belongings into them. She claimed it was only because the space was larger, but I knew it was only a half truth because I got an impression of tradition from her mind as she had her back turned to me.  
We had drank water, went to bathe, and came back to her bedroom and crawled into bed together, thoroughly exhausted.  
We did all of this while testing our new bond, sharing memories, exchanging powers. The bond felt like I had grown a new limb, to be flexed, controlled, used, to become familiar with. Hades was a part of me now, as much as my arm was.  
In bed that night, we agreed that we would try our best not to pry at each other’s memories that were best kept buried until we decided to share them. I knew it would be difficult because I felt my mind wandering back to hers like it belonged there. One moment, I’d be staring into her eyes, and the next, I’d be seeing myself through them.  
The next two mornings were plagued with nightmares of Hades’ memories until she would shake me awake and soothe me. I would just stare at her in horror and she would murmur soft things, usually apologies, and stroke my hair until I could fall back asleep.  
“I’m sorry for this. I didn’t know this would happen…”  
These memories were fresh for me, but old wounds for her, though I didn’t understand how she could bear to look at Cronus even after all this time. All of the terror and horror she felt when she experienced those things was overwhelming.  
On the third night, after I had to be woken again, Hades slipped out of bed and started whispering to someone in the hallway outside our rooms. I caught on that it was Hypnos.  
“--called me here, so I came.” There was a pause. “Well, how did it go? We’ve all been keeping our distance so you two can have privacy but it’s been killing us…”  
“It worked, with unexpected consequences. She has access to my memories, Hypnos. She dreams of them. Do you remember how I was when…”  
“Oh,” he remarked softly. “That isn’t good at all.”  
“No, it isn’t,” Hades said flatly. “I have her memories as dreams, too, but she has never been subjected to anything that I dealt with. Her memories are fine; I like them. She just doesn’t know how to stop mine, or control them.”  
“I can help her. Is she sleeping now?”  
I felt something like a tentative stroke from Hades, that retreated almost immediately. “No, she isn’t. She’s listening to us.”  
I sat up in bed, gathering the sheets around me. “How will I be able to spy on you now? It won’t be very fun if you always know…”  
Hades laughed and pushed the door open, ushering Hypnos inside. “Oh, I’m sure you’ll figure something out eventually.”  
Hypnos smiled softly. “Look, if it isn’t the blushing bride.”  
“How have you been?”  
“Fine,” he circled around the bed cautiously. “How are you feeling?”  
“Tired,” I admitted. “It’s not bad during the day, it doesn’t happen, so that’s been fine. I think we’re having fun without any work, aren’t we?”  
I felt Hades’ amusement before she grinned. “We have indeed. It’s only the nights that are bad.”  
“I could make a potion to help you sleep, and try to see what the problem is, and if I can prevent you from getting those memories. Can you send for Morpheus and Phobetor? Tell them I need a dreamless sleep tincture and a basic sleep tincture before they come.” Hypnos sat on the bed next to me.  
“I can.” Hades stood by the wall without moving, which confused me because I thought she was going to fetch someone. “Pay attention to this, Persephone. I think you’ll find it… of interest.”  
Hypnos rolled his eyes. “Are you going to show off?”  
“Naturally,” Hades said.  
I let my mind wander closer to hers and felt as her power seemed to drop and expand below us. Suddenly, I felt all the souls and people in the palace like candle flames, and I knew exactly where they were and what they were doing. Daeira was in the library, curled in a chair, and Markos was in the kitchens speaking to a couple other servants. It expanded to the rest of the Underworld, seeking and searching, finding the two beings in question. The power narrowed in on Morpheus and Phobetor, and I felt them sense it. They looked up from where they lied in bed in their rooms at Hypnos’ place.  
Come to the palace. Your father needs you to bring basic and dreamless sleep tinctures.  
Then I felt her power return to her, retracting at a dizzying speed. I shook my head to clear the feeling and looked up at her. She was smiling.  
“That was… incredible.”  
“You think so?”  
“And unnerving,” I quickly added. “You can use that at any time?”  
“I don’t, if that’s what you were going to ask about. I’ve seen too many things I’d rather not see by doing that.” Hades shook her head in disgust.  
“Have you seen me in any compromising positions that way?” Hypnos asked with a grin, and she only stared humorlessly at him in response. He frowned. “Okay then.”  
But I got brief flashes of memories, mostly just impressions, of what looked like different times Hades had seen Hypnos with nymphs, goddesses, or, to my surprise, a few gods I couldn’t quite recognize.  
Hades had felt me sense it and she grimaced. “Sorry about that, Persephone.”  
“What?”  
“Do you like men, too?”  
Hypnos looked bewildered at my seemingly random question, then guarded. “Why?”  
“I’m surprised. I didn’t know.” I shrugged. I had known plenty of men who liked other men; Zeus, Poseidon, Apollo, Ganymede, Dionysus, and Hermes, among others.  
Hypnos turned to Hades. “Did you… Did she see… So you have spied on me?”  
“Much to my misfortune, yes.”  
Hypnos grinned again. “Excellent. It was my life’s dream to torment Hades in such a way.”  
“With the way you carry on, I’m sure it is.”  
I stood, holding the sheet around me, and poured myself a glass of wine, standing near the fireplace. My eyes were burning from the exhaustion. As I closed them, I could feel Hades’ worry wash over me. I sighed. “Hades, they’re just dreams. I’m only tired. I know you didn’t think this would happen. It is fine.”  
“I know that, but…”  
I turned to her. “Hades, it’s fine. Hypnos is here to help.”  
“I’m here to try,” he said helpfully. “If I helped Hades, I can help you.”  
Markos knocked lightly on the door. “Morpheus and Phobetor are here to see you. They said you summoned them.”  
“Let them in,” Hades called back.  
The two Oneiroi entered, holding a couple vials. “What did you need us for?”  
“Our lovely new queen has been having terrible dreams, apparently. An after-effect of the hieros gamos. Can you give me the normal sleep potion?” Hypnos held his hand out and Morpheus gave him the vial he was holding. Hypnos turned to me. “Come lay down again. I need you to drink this, and you’ll fall asleep right away. We need to see what the problem is, before we can fix it.”  
“So, I’ll have the dreams again?”  
“If the pattern persists, yes.” He patted the bed next to him and his grin turned wicked. “Come, join me in bed.”  
Hades rolled her eyes heavily. “I’m sure you’ve been dying to say that.”  
He snickered but I joined him without another comment. I didn’t want this problem to continue for longer than necessary. I relaxed back into the pillows and drank the potion. It tasted metallic and smoky. “You’ll wake me up before it gets too bad, right?”  
“Of course, Persephone. We’re all here.” Hades approached me, but my eyes were already starting to close. I felt fingers press into my temples with a slight pressure.  
The dreams seemed to start right away. A gaping mouth, darkness, light, blood, severed limbs, spilled organs, screaming, smoke, ash, agonizing pain… Arrows flying at me, blocked by my shield, a sword narrowly missing as I stepped out of the way just in time, my sword slicing into the opponent without even thinking. Meeting eyes. The realization of knowing them.  
Family alive, family fighting, family dead.  
“Persephone!” I was shaken awake and I gasped, lurching into Hades’ arms. She began rocking me back and forth, petting my hair. “Shhhhh, Persephone. It’s okay. You’re safe.”  
I felt bodies move off the bed and the lingering haze of the dream dissipated as I came back to myself and remembered why we were doing this. “Did you find out anything? Can you help?”  
Hypnos glanced back at me. “I need to speak with my sons, first. Drink the dreamless tincture and you should be fine for tonight. We’ll figure something out and fix you before you wake in the morning. How does that sound?”  
“Too good to be true,” I sighed.  
Hades handed me the vial as Hypnos said, “We’ll speak outside the room. This potion is less… stable. It will be harder to fall asleep with distractions.”  
“You’ll call me if there’s something important, yes?” Hades asked. “I want to stay with her.”  
“Yes, I can.” Hypnos nodded. “Get some rest, Persephone. You need it.”  
I drank the potion, this one tasting vaguely of slightly too ripe fruit, and lied back with Hades. She curled herself against my back, her arm around my waist. I tried to relax, but found myself watching the door as Hypnos and his sons exited.  
“We’ve never… before…”  
“I’m not… sure… could be… reasons…”  
“What do… mean? You’re the… nightmares… people… prophetic dreams…”  
“I could… guess.”  
“Well?”  
“Nothing good.”  
There was a long pause, and then Hypnos whispered, “Hades, come here.”  
She removed her arm and slid out of bed without jostling it too much. She paused to skim her thumb across my cheek. Go to sleep and quit fighting the potion. I’ll tell you everything in the morning.  
I nodded and rolled over onto my stomach, burying my face in the pillows. I could spy on her with our bond if I wanted, but I wanted to sleep more.  
Everything grew hazy and I welcomed it.  
* * *  
Waking up the following day was the most delicious sensation. My limbs were still heavy with sleep and I enjoyed every bit of it, allowing myself to stay in bed as long as I wanted. I reached out to Hades through the bond and found her at the Hall.  
Is our break over so soon?  
I felt her smile. Not quite yet. I’ll come home. I had some things to attend.  
Like?  
I’ll tell you when I get back.  
I got up from bed and started a bath, grabbing a fresh peplos and setting it on the counter within reach. I slipped into the water and relaxed as I waited to feel Hades approach. I must have nodded off again because what felt like a minute later, Hades was standing over me and smiling.  
“Did you not get enough sleep already?”  
“Perhaps not,” I yawned, “but I feel so much better.”  
“I’m glad.”  
I studied her. “You look like you didn’t get enough sleep last night.”  
“Well, seeing as how I can’t lie to you now, I didn’t.”  
“You are more than welcome to join me, you know.” I smiled and waved my arms around the water. “It’s very warm.”  
Hades cast a lingering glance over me. “That is a very tempting offer.” She paused for a moment to think. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt. Just let me take these off.” She turned and removed her crown, resting it on my clean peplos.  
I pushed silently through the water and Hades’ back stiffened.  
“Persephone, don’t you dare—”  
I grabbed the edge of her peplos and tugged her backwards so she fell into the bath, water spraying everywhere. She popped her head out and sputtered, her hair matted to her face. I gently parted it like a curtain and grinned. She rolled her eyes.  
“I knew you were going to do that. I felt you think it.”  
“And yet you weren’t fast enough to stop me,” I chuckled.  
“Now my peplos is completely soaked, and the fibulae will have to be polished again…” Hades busied herself with unclipping the fibulae and unwinding the tangled fabric from her body, dropping them both on the floor.  
“Ah, yes, as if you don’t have countless more where that came from…” I nodded solemnly.  
She pretended that she didn’t hear my comment. I wrapped my arms and legs around her and she leaned into me instinctively, sighing in defeat. “Why can’t I be angry with you?”  
“Because you would be angry with me nearly always, if you could be.”  
“It’s a character flaw.”  
“Well, I think it’s a benefit.”  
“Of course you would.” She laughed.  
“It’s almost a fair trade: I always loving you, you always forgiving me.”  
“You know what happened before doesn’t matter,” she said, “and I’m not sure if I believe that, either.”  
“Why?”  
“There was a time where I thought you didn’t. You were so, so angry with me, Persephone…” she whispered. “I thought you would never forgive me, that you’d leave and put yourself in danger. I was terrified of that.”  
“I wasn’t going to leave the Underworld. I wasn’t completely mad.”  
“I know, but I was still afraid.”  
“And yet we are here,” I said softly.  
“And yet we are here,” she agreed.  
We fell into a comfortable silence, until Hades broke it. “I’m very happy you’re feeling better.”  
“So am I. Was Hypnos able to figure out a more permanent fix than a potion?”  
“He did. The nightmares from my memories shouldn’t be a problem anymore.”  
“And Phobetor? What did he say? What happened?”  
Hades sighed heavily in my arms and moved away to turn and look at me. “First, I want to say that it’s nothing definite. I may just be overly cautious about this.”  
“So?” I prodded skeptically, reaching over to grab soap and running it over my skin.  
“He essentially said that you having those nightmares about my fighting in the Titanomachy is because something bad may happen soon, that you’re reliving my past because your future might come to mirror it.”  
I stilled, paling.  
Hades quickly resumed her explanation after absorbing my expression. “But it could just be a normal effect of the hieros gamos, but he can’t be sure since the ritual is so rarely accomplished that no effects are considered normal. So, there is the possibility that it means nothing.”  
I frowned. “I’m afraid it might be the former.”  
“As am I, which is why I left and made a few preparations today. There will be guards at every known entrance to the Underworld. No one will be able to enter without our knowing.”  
“He can’t possibly want to lay siege on the Underworld,” I started, rinsing the soap from my skin. “What would he gain? Aside from, well…” I trailed off and Hades nodded her understanding. “There would be far too many losses for a realm he has no love for. That being said, he hasn’t exactly been even remotely rational.”  
“I should hope not, and we have no indication the Olympians’ delicate sensibilities regarding the Underworld have changed, but we can’t afford to be wrong, either. That is my reasoning for the guards.”  
Hades must have felt my question forming before I spoke because she waved her hand dismissively and answered it. “I’ve scheduled the Arae, the Keres, and the Oneiroi to change with each other every few hours. Others will help when they find the time.”  
“Should we help? It would only be fair.” I handed the soap to Hades.  
She took it and frowned. “Honestly, I don’t want you by yourself near one of the entrances.”  
“Hades…”  
“It would be knowingly playing in their favor. You would be only so much easier to spirit away.”  
Most of what she meant went unsaid.  
I don’t underestimate you. You are capable of taking care of yourself. We just don’t know if one Olympian or twenty would come. I am worried. I want you safe. I’m sorry if I insult you.  
I sighed. “I know.”  
“You can always help Charon. He’ll be short on help now.”  
“That’s busywork.”  
“Yes, but it’s just as important.” Hades washed her body quickly. “And we still have our duties rendering judgment on souls. There are more every day.”  
I moved closer to her and she stretched her arms out for me. I watched the water ripple around us as I rested my head on her shoulder. “I take it this is the last day of our…”  
“As much as I have enjoyed it, and you, I think I may go mad if I continue doing nothing. There is work to be done. After what Phobetor said, I feel like I need to work. It certainly ruined my mood.”  
“Completely?” I asked, brushing my lips against her neck. I felt her power rise up beneath her skin to meet mine.  
She shivered despite the warmth of the water. “Perhaps not.”  
“I’m pleased.”  
She kissed the top of my head. “No matter what happens, I want you to know that I have never been happier in all of my existence. I love you.”  
“I love you, too, and now I am stuck with you forever, for better or worse.”  
Hades laughed. “Such a positive outlook.”  
My eyes settled on her crown. “Oh, that reminds me. Where did mine go?”  
“You’ve only had it for a few days and you’ve already lost it?” She didn’t wait for me to answer. “It rolled under the lounge when we were… Surely you haven’t forgotten that, unless you’re in need of a reminder…” Hades ran her hand down my side, a tangled web of images and sensations pushing through the bond.  
I inhaled sharply and Hades chuckled. “Yes, I remember… and you should refrain from doing that at inappropriate moments.”  
“I will if you will,” she said simply. “And should you misplace your crown that was crafted by the best artisan of the gods again, I’ve had others made in different styles. Some are just circlets. They’re in with our peploi, chitons…”  
“You do think of everything.” I leaned into her and kissed her on the cheek.  
“Running a palace, a realm, and its inhabitants does tend to teach one to consider many options.”  
We fell into silence again, and both our thoughts started gravitating back to the bad news.  
I was so… tired of it. Bad news, terrible things happening, never having a lasting reprieve. Now I was being told my future could mirror the Titanomachy?  
Hades interrupted my thoughts. “Your future cannot mirror my past if we don’t leave, and they don’t come. We could stay here forever and never need to leave, you know. We will survive this and we will thrive. If the worst comes, and it may, we will handle it. We have more allies than you’d think, powerful ones, and our strength and unity are our greatest assets.”  
I sighed. “I’d rather not have to handle any of it.”  
“Wouldn’t we all?”  
“They are divided, aren’t they?” I asked, with hope.  
“Some of them, yes, but most are… reluctant, yet still compliant because they fear him. Perhaps some do support him fully, but who am I to know? We have a very limited view from here.”  
“What would we do?”  
“If we fought them?” she asked.  
I shook my head. I knew the answer to that already, and was starting to become resigned to that fate if it came. “If we won.”  
Hades shrugged, struggling to think of what to say. We knew our odds, and yet we never considered that outcome and what we would do with it. “You know I couldn’t rule there…”  
“So we would hand it off to someone worthy? Athena? Nyx? Hecate?”  
“Athena would be a wise choice, but Nyx has no interest in ruling. If she wanted to, she would be. Neither does Hecate.” Hades paused for a beat. “You could. ”  
“Hades, I…” I started to protest, but I saw it. I saw myself sitting on the grand throne in the largest temple that overlooked Olympus and the mortal world, my descending and Hades ascending to meet in the middle, light and darkness mingling, the mortal world reshaping itself around us.  
Hades saw it, too. A wave of disappointment, with a touch of shame, washed over me from her.  
“I’m sorry…”  
“You can’t help it. Perhaps the Moirai have more plans for you than they let on.”  
“And perhaps it’s just a nonsensical fantasy. I’m happy here, with you, Hades. I was meant for this. I know that.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“Completely,” I nodded. “I thought you were above such insecurities.”  
“You bring out the worst in me.” Hades smirked and kissed me. “As much as I would like to stay here all evening…”  
“Oh, no!” I started, cutting her off. “I thought you said we still had today before returning to work!”  
She tipped her head back and laughed. “No, that wasn’t what I was getting at.”  
I eyed her suspiciously. “It usually is.”  
Hades giggled again. “That may be true, but I believe Daeira was wanting to speak with you. She’s kept her distance for our privacy.”  
“About what?”  
“It’s something she wants to discuss with you privately.”  
“Thanatos didn’t ask for her hand, did he?”  
“Absolutely not,” Hades laughed.  
I watched her, and then tried to peer into her mind to see what Daeira told her.  
She withdrew, physically and mentally, with a squeal. “That would be cheating, Persephone! I thought you were above such things.”  
I rolled my eyes. “What harm could it do?”  
Hades stood and the water poured off of her body, clouds of steam rolling from her skin. She offered me a hand. “Come, let’s get dressed and you can face her yourself.”  
“Now you make it seem like I’m facing some wild beast…”  
“If you weren’t acting so apprehensive of confronting her, I wouldn’t have to.”  
I glared at Hades even as I took her hand and reached over to get our towels. Even accustomed to the Underworld’s chill, it had more bite after a bath. We dried off quickly and I dressed leisurely, watching Hades’ pale form glide through our rooms to fetch a dry peplos. I sat down in front of the mirror and twisted and pinned my hair into an updo. Hades appeared behind me, dressed immaculately, and placed the crown on my head.  
“Try not to misplace it. It is a priceless gift handcrafted by your brother.”  
“I’ll be more careful.”  
Hades nodded. “Always a good goal to strive for.”  
“Where can I find Daeira?”  
“Her room, or your favored reading room, I believe.”  
I stood and turned to face her. “Is it something serious? Bad?”  
Hades gave me a tight-lipped smile. “That would be telling.”  
I kissed her on the mouth before we parted. “If I come back and find you working, you’ll be sorry.”  
“Oh, will I now?”  
“Very.” I winked as I left the room.  
Admittedly, since returning from Elysium, I hadn’t really left our rooms. Hades and I had been consumed with each other, in love, testing boundaries, hardly aware of what was going on around us. Plates of food and pitchers of drinks seemed to appear on their own, all of my things had already been delivered, the rooms expansive enough on their own to feel a bit isolated.  
It was almost odd to be walking around freely, observing the comings and goings of the servants, my sandals echoing across the stone, everything given more weight and depth, a new kind of clarity, through my link with Hades. The servants didn’t look like they originally did to me, shades, apparitions that weren’t completely opaque, but more like normal mortals, yet still clearly deceased. Hades’ powers had given a spark back to them. This was what she saw in them.  
My old rooms stood empty and dark, as if I had the wrong place. I paused at the doorway and looked inside, but even the fireplace had been swept and cleaned, every trace I had lived there washed away. I didn’t know how I should feel about that.  
Daeira was sitting in her room, reading by the fire. She looked up when I entered, her face brightening. “There you are, Persephone! I heard about Hypnos and his sons needing to visit. Are you feeling better?”  
“Much,” I nodded. “Did they tell you why?”  
“They didn’t go into detail. I didn’t really understand what happened. Bad dreams?” She moved on the lounge and made room for me to sit.  
I strode across the room and joined her. “The hieros gamos… had unforeseen consequences.”  
“What do you mean? Did it work?”  
“It did, and it linked our souls together. We have this… bond now. It’s wondrous beyond what I can describe. We can tap into each other’s thoughts, powers, memories. The memories are the problem. We have a way of shielding each other when we try, but when we sleep…” I shook my head. “I was getting her memories, horrible flashbacks of the Titanomachy. I couldn’t sleep. Hypnos and the Oneiroi fixed it, I think.”  
“I’m glad they were able to help.”  
“So am I.”  
“Other than that, have you been well? How are you enjoying being married?” Daeira grinned.  
“I have, but it’s still new, untried, untested. We’ll see.” I looked at my hands. “Enough about me. Hades said you had something to speak to me about.”  
It was Daeira’s turn to look down. “Yes, well, this is something I’ve been giving a lot of thought, even before the wedding. I think it’s time for me to move on.”  
I paused for a moment. “To Elysium?”  
She nodded. “I was sent to help you and look after you, and I feel like I have. You’re happy, taken care of, you have your place here, and I… I don’t belong here anymore. It was easier to pretend when you were around more, but you have your responsibilities to the realm now. I just don’t want to abandon you.”  
“Oh, Daeira! You aren’t abandoning me.” I leaned forward and hugged her. “I always wanted this for you, from the beginning. You deserved rest instead of chasing me around, cleaning up after my messes, thinking you’re abandoning me if you go. You’ve talked to the others about this, I take it? Hades? Thanatos?”  
“Yes.”  
“How did Thanatos take it?”  
“He asked if he could visit me when I…” she trailed off. “I thought it would be best not to. We weren’t… It wasn’t anything serious. It couldn’t be. If there was anything I learned while I lived, loving the deathless always ends in tragedy for those of us who aren’t.”  
I didn’t know what to say to that.  
“That’s okay, Persephone. We are all born as what we are and will never know otherwise.”  
“Are you… sad?”  
“I’ve lived longer than you and have known love countless times. I think I’m satisfied, and I think that’s the best anyone could hope for.”  
“I’m happy for you, then. You deserved happiness, acceptance, and peace.”  
“And I think being here with all of you gave me the time I needed for that to happen.” Daeira smiled and wiped tears from her eyes. “It was an honor to be here and see you grow.”  
I drew her in for another hug, and felt a tug from Hades.  
“Hades wants to know if you would let us accompany you to Elysium.”  
She nodded fiercely. “I’d love that.”  
I smiled and kissed her cheek. “So would we.”


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Olympians take something precious and the Underworld declares war, but Persephone is desperate to solve this war without bloodshed.

Daeira’s room stood as empty as my old one, and I supposed it was fitting. We moved on. Our lives changed. It was strange for me to realize exactly how much had changed. My life in Olympus, for centuries, was stagnant and unchanging, its cycles and repetitions as immortal as I was.  
Hades and I had taken her to Elysium the following morning, with only Hecate visiting the palace to say her goodbyes. Neither of the twins showed and I was unsure if they were knowingly avoiding it or they didn’t know at all. Markos and Hecate sent us off, our arms entwined with Daeira’s.  
Elysium was perfect, as always, and quiet. Dazing sunlight glimmered off fields of wheat, a faint breeze shifting picturesque stillness to undulating waves of molten gold. Daeira, turned whole and fully lifelike once more, took a deep breath as she left our sides.  
“Should we visit?” Hades had asked.  
Daeira took a moment to answer. “I’m not sure. I know you come here for other purposes already, but…”  
“We understand.”  
“I’m not like you. One day I might go to the Isles and I won’t be here when you return.”  
I blinked. I hadn’t thought of that at all. “Whatever you decide, we’re happy for you.”  
She looked out to the city on the horizon. “Do you think my son is still here? I should find him again.”  
“You should,” I nodded eagerly.  
“I never stayed to see him grow. I don’t know what he looked like.” Daeira looked back to us, a faint smile on her lips. “But I have time. Thank you, both, for everything.”  
“Thank you, Daeira.”  
“Be at peace,” Hades smiled.  
We watched as Daeira faded to a spot in the distance before we left, and all moved on with our lives.  
Hades and I went to the Hall and resumed work with the judges, which was mostly reviewing the more important cases that came along when we were away. Feeling Hades’ boredom only heightened my own, yet beyond that, was an unnerving air of tension. The judges were more serious than usual, the Underworld more quiet, and a few silent guards stood outside the Hall.  
I didn’t like it, and I started bristling with agitation. I didn’t know if I was more sensitive with my bond, or just more perceptive.  
In return, I felt Hades try to push calmness onto me and it helped, letting me last through the day without growing too anxious. We sparred in the evening as an unspoken compromise and Hades fell asleep quickly after we turned in for the night. I felt better after releasing the pent up energy, but I was still restless.  
Something didn’t feel right, as if a cloud of unease had been cast over me. I struggled to fall asleep, wondering if it was simply my imagination and penchant for negative ways of thinking.  
I couldn’t shake the feeling after tossing and turning in bed for what felt like hours, and eventually stood and wandered the palace in search of Markos. I found him by the kitchens and he started at the sight of me.  
“Something wrong?” I asked quietly, if not a bit amused.  
“You startled me, your grace. It’s very late. I didn’t think you would be awake, much less jumping out of the shadows.” His voice held a hint of irritation. “Is there something you need?”  
“Are you aware of…” I sighed. “Has anything happened recently?”  
“Tonight?” He looked perplexed. “No, nothing has been brought to my attention. A few late wedding gifts have arrived, Hades had posted guards, a minor spat with one of the Arae and the Oneiroi happened, numerous complaints from the residents of the Asphodel Fields, but that’s typical.” He started idly cleaning the wall with a rag while he spoke. “Nothing has stormed the gates of the Underworld yet, to my knowledge.”  
I hummed, thinking.  
“Is there something in particular that you…”  
“No, no. It’s nothing. I couldn’t sleep and just wanted to make sure everything was running smoothly, so to speak.”  
“You can’t sleep? Do you need me to fetch Hypnos?”  
“Oh, it’s nothing like that. I’m just a bit restless. I think I’ll go back to bed now. Have a good night, Markos.”  
He bowed and I ghosted back through the hallway I came from, fingers trailing across the stone walls. Every now and then, I would get random bursts of memory, through Hades’ eyes, of passing rooms and their contents, their creation. I felt her passion and pride in those memories. It was calming.  
When I crawled back into bed, I was more relaxed after being reassured that the world wasn’t ending around us. Hades, still sleeping, wrapped her arm around me and pulled me closer. Her soft breathing and warmth lulled me into sleep.  
The nightmares that plagued me had passed, for the most part, but my dreams were still jumbled with flashes of the briefest memories— only small parts, a hand, a cup, a horizon, nothing even remotely coherent enough to evoke fear.   
But between those flashes, something solidified in the darkness.  
A dim room, glowing chains, ragged hair, wild beard, malicious eyes.  
I hope you’ve made your preparations, little queen. You’ve certainly made your bed, and now you must lie in it. You wouldn’t want your reign to end so soon.  
I jerked up in bed, Cronus’ laughter echoing in my head.  
What’s wrong?  
“Just a—” I turned, finding the bed and room empty. “You’re not here?”  
No, I let you sleep in. Markos said you were up late. You’re welcome to join us when you’re ready.  
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I’ll think about it, but I might help Charon today.  
Just busy work, hmmm?  
I rolled my eyes. Be quiet.  
What happened to you? I felt your fear for a moment. Dreams of my memories again?  
I don’t think so. It felt… different.  
What was it?  
Cronus. A warning for me.  
Hades’ displeasure and apprehension hit me like a wave. Do I need to have a word with him?  
No. I don’t know. I shook my head. I’m not sure if he meant any harm, or enough harm to make it worthy of a visit. Would he say something only as an attempt to frighten me?  
It wouldn’t be out of character. He is rather meddlesome in his old age. Very well. Are you sure?  
I’m sure. If it happens again, I will tell you, but you should pay attention to your work.  
I felt Hades’ amusement and then she withdrew from me, her presence slipping away like sand. I stood and dressed, wondering if I really did want to help Charon or do something else. The feel of unease had only heightened from the dream.  
Cronus had made me unsure of myself and I could only assume that was his intention. Had he somehow discerned my foreboding and vulnerability all the way from Tartarus and preyed upon it? If so, I hated him for it. I hated the way I had dreamed about him, the invasion of it. I hated Hades’ memories of him. I hated what he had done to her. I hatred the fear I felt in her when I mentioned his name.  
I chased the chills away by the fire and tried to banish the thought of him. I didn’t need Hades picking up on my mood more than she already was, and I didn’t want to trouble her further.  
Sensing Markos walking past the suite, I called out to him and I heard him sigh before he stopped and answered.  
He appeared in the doorway. “Yes, your grace?”  
“You said there were late wedding gifts? Has Hades taken care of them?”  
“Not yet.”  
“I could, if you’d point me in the right direction.” I finished tying my sandals and straightened.  
“Of course. Right this way.” Markos extended his arm and motioned for me to follow. He led me back through the palace, into one of the many spare rooms near the grand ballroom. He lit the sconces and left with a, “if you need anything…”  
I hummed distractedly, taking in the stacks of boxes, barrels, sacks, and haphazard items leaning against the walls. I started looking in containers and sorting through them, shifting them around into designated corners of the room for the servants to take care of later; weapons and armor, foods and drinks, books and scrolls, bolts of fabric, jewelry, rich oils and creams.  
A small box embellished with gold and jewels came with a note addressed to me directly. The handwriting was familiar to me, the painstaking precision and care put into it looking exactly right unmistakable.  
Little Sister,  
Firstly, I thought I’d never see the day. Secondly, I am furious you did not ask for my advice and that Athena was invited to your wedding whereas my invitation must have been lost to the winds. Thirdly, I’m still happy for you. Lastly, I couldn’t let you go without a gift.  
This is the rarest cream, said to enhance beauty and make one irresistible to all that look upon her.  
Even married, it may be of use.  
With love,  
Aphrodite  
I regarded the box with mild curiosity before setting it aside to continue my work. I called servants over and directed them to take away the weapons, armor, food, and drinks so I could sort through more items.  
Hades brushed against my mind. That doesn’t look like you helping Charon.  
Belated wedding gifts. Contrary to popular belief, I am being productive. Who is it that keeps taking breaks from her work to bother me?  
It’s dreadfully boring. Would you like to see?  
I’d rather not… I started, but Hades pulled me away from my body and into hers. The judges were arguing over some discrepancy in their records and the guards, one Ker and one of the Arae, were groaning outside.  
I pulled myself away and returned firmly into my body, remarking, that was enlightening. I can’t say I’m missing that too terribly. You should stop the judges before they’re at each other’s throats.  
If I tossed a sword at them, do you think they would battle? That would certainly be more interesting.  
I laughed, and the servants looked at me strangely. Neither of us will get anything done if we continue with this.  
Very well. I felt her sigh heavily. Until later, my love…  
I turned to rifle through the jewelry, inspecting any pieces I’d like to take back to our rooms, before getting distracted and flipping through the manuscripts. They were on a variety of all subjects, from practical everyday applications to historical documents. I found an extensive genealogy chart for the gods, including every one of us since Chaos. A marriage line had been drawn between Hades and I. I traced it lightly with my finger.  
Persephone, come to me. Hades’ voice slashed through my mind with precision, making me drop the papers from its urgency.  
I made no smart remarks as I turned on my heel and ran through the palace, taking myself to the Hall. The guards were no longer standing outside and I raced past the columns to see Tisiphone and Megaera standing with Hades on the main level, the judges absent. Their postures were stiff, and when they turned to me, I saw their faces were grim.  
“What is it?” I asked, all numbers of fears flashing to the forefront of my head. “What has happened?”  
They glanced at each other, and then Tisiphone spoke. “Alecto was called away for her duties a few days ago, and has not returned.”  
I stilled, trying to understand her words. Alecto was typically gone for days at a time. “What does that mean?”  
Hades held out a scroll to me, and Megaera offered up her hand, showing me a lock of red hair. “She’s been captured by Zeus.”  
I felt acidic rage climb up my throat, and I dared not even move. The braziers flared and Hades regarded them carefully, waiting for me to speak. “How did he…”  
“We don’t know, Persephone.”  
“Perhaps the call was simply a lure for her to leave the Underworld, and then she was overpowered. Maybe he caught wind of the events in Ephyra and was inspired. Anything could have happened,” Tisiphone said simply. “But we know she’s alive, and the letter…”  
“He said he will trade Alecto for your… return,” Hades glanced over it again and frowned. I felt her sympathy for me, and I felt her pain. Alecto was one of her subjects, one of her friends, and she had been taken.  
“How did he know to take her?”  
“Does he know that she’s important to you?” Megaera shrugged. “It could just be opportunity, since she leaves the Underworld more frequently than the others in your close circle, but…”  
“From the letter, it seems like he’s under the impression that she is, and that you will be amenable to an exchange,” Hades finished.  
They looked to me for what to do next, and I said the very words I had wanted to say from the beginning, but was always too afraid. “This is the last time he will raise his hand to hurt us. We cannot let this direct provocation stand and we no longer can sit idle while the world suffers because of him. This is war.”  
Hades’ expression remained grim, but the two Erinyes moved their hands to the swords at their hips, and bared their teeth into feral grins. “Finally.”  
“We will save your sister, I swear it. Gather the Arae.”  
They nodded and bowed, a wild shine in their eyes. I shivered from the feel of their excitement.  
Hades watched them go before saying anything, but when she did, she didn’t offer me any false words of hope. She knew me too well for that. “We’ll have to start calling in our favors.”  
I felt her power release in a great, suffocating wave that spread like sap through the Underworld. War is coming. Prepare.  
The echoes of voices of the Underworld rose up in answer, ancient, battle-worn, shaking the dust from their forms and their swords, war cries sounding in the perpetual gloom. Cerberus bayed from across the rivers, the Titans rattled their chains in the prospect of delayed vengeance, the Hekatonkheires stretched their limbs in the abyss.  
Hades tucked the scroll in the folds of her himation and held her hand out to me. “Let’s see to the preparations.”  
She took us back to the palace and led me through the twisting hallways, down into the deep center of the estate. The door she pushed open groaned in protest. Flicking her wrist, she lit the sconces that lined the walls to show a long room with a great table, yellowed, molded maps strewn over it, dull knives piercing papers and walls, a thick layer of dust covering all the contents of the room.  
I laid a hand on the doorway.  
Anger sharp enough to cut pieces of my soul away. Utter, isolating betrayal. Blind and overwhelming need for vengeance. Plotting, scheming, wanting to paint the worlds gold with ichor.  
I snatched my hand away quickly and looked wildly to Hades.  
She frowned. “I told you I was not well when I… arrived here. I thought I would never need to use this war room again.”  
Hades ran a hand across the table, maps disintegrating and particles flying into the air. Markos appeared in the doorway. “Everyone heard. What can I do for you?”  
“Fetch us new maps of Greece, and refreshments. We’ll be entertaining a number of guests tonight.”  
He bowed quickly and left, moving aside for Hecate, the twins, Nyx, and Styx to enter.  
Hecate moved around the table as she regarded it in a distasteful manner. “We heard the call.”  
“We thought…” Hypnos started, looking extremely relieved to see us both.  
Thanatos cut him off. “We didn’t know what we thought.”  
“We are all glad you seem to be alright.” Nyx circled around us, her gaze flicking between Hades and I and the room. “This is a very old chamber.”  
“A call-to-arms at last,” Styx sighed. “Is this what I think it’s about? Shall I send for my children?”  
“Hades, what happened?” Thanatos asked impatiently, an edge in his voice.  
“Persephone declared war on Zeus.”  
The eyes in the room turned to me, moments passing, before Hecate asked, “It was called for, I hope?”  
“I don’t want to…” I trailed off, struggling with my words. Hades?  
She ran a hand down my back and nodded, starting to explain what had taken place. Markos returned with what she had asked for and wiped down the table quickly, before excusing himself again. I poured glasses of wine while Hades spoke and the others examined the scroll.  
“Poor girl,” Nyx remarked. “She would not have gone easily.”  
“How would they have known to take Alecto?” Hecate crossed her arms unhappily.  
“We spoke briefly of that with her sisters and we aren’t quite sure.”  
“Where are they?” Hypnos asked.  
“Gathering the Arae.”  
Hades continued. “Megaera said that it may have just been an easier opportunity than if they had wanted to take Persephone or any of you.”  
“But by the sound of the letter, he seems to know that they are close.” Styx handed the scroll to Hypnos. “You are close with her, yes?”  
No one else spoke, and the twins and Hecate averted their eyes. I glared at them before answering her question. “Yes, I am.”  
Styx raised her eyebrows. “A sore topic?”  
“The details are of no consequence right now,” Hades said quickly. “So he knows she would be someone Persephone would want to save, and she leaves the Underworld often, so it could be a combination of both.”  
“But how does he…” Thanatos narrowed his brows.  
“A spy?” Styx offered.  
“But who?” Hades asked. “We’ve been monitoring our visitors, barring the entrances…” She trailed off, and blinked. “The wedding?”  
“They were all invited. Hardly anyone who attended does not permanently live here…”  
“Athena, Hemera, Chloris…”  
“My daughter would not…”  
“Athena, Chloris?” I scoffed and continued. “None of them would. We just don’t know.”  
“How will we proceed?”  
The Erinyes joined us as Hades rolled out a detailed map of Greece and its surrounding territories. She touched their shoulders lightly as they passed, a gesture of comfort, before returning to her practiced, hardened expression. “Where exactly was Alecto called to?”  
Tisiphone pointed to it. “There’s a village here, small enough to not be marked, I think.”  
“There was a village there,” Megaera corrected her. “Any mortals surely have perished in a settlement as small as that one.”  
“And Alecto wouldn’t have questioned it?” Hades asked.  
The Erinyes looked at each other and shrugged. “We go where we’re told.”  
I frowned. “He wouldn’t be keeping her there, would he?”  
“No, he would have taken her to Olympus. It’s fortified, it’s remote, it’s mostly inaccessible.”  
“How would we be able to reach her? How did you take Olympus in the Titanomachy?”  
“Is this a rescue mission or is this war, Persephone?” Hades turned to me, looking grave. “What do you think happened? We slaughtered our way there.”  
I paled and looked down at the map, avoiding the gaze of the others.  
“We will have to convince him to meet on the mortal plane,” Nyx said, interrupting the growing silence. “He realizes it is just as foolish to meet in our realm as it would be for us to meet him in his.”  
“What do you propose we do to make him agree to meet us there?”  
“Tell him we’ll give Persephone over, and we’ll slit his throat,” Styx looked at the ancient weapons adjourning the walls and back to us, her words casual. “It would be easy enough. My children are his guards, but they will do what I tell them, even regicide. I hardly think they would be broken up about it.”  
“And after that?” Hecate challenged. “We’ll have to kill every one who comes to his aid, and storm Olympus.”  
Styx looked bored. “You speak as though we haven’t done it before.”  
“We’re much older, now.”  
“You’re older now that my sister has been taken by a madman?” Megaera asked heatedly. “Do you suppose we just leave her there and count our losses?”  
“No,” Hecate said, cheeks flushed and eyes narrowed at Megaera’s accusatory tone, “but I don’t think blindly fighting and killing our way to her is the wisest course of action.”  
“We don’t hear you offering any other option.”  
“It would be terribly easy, you know,” Styx said lazily. “They’re so weak right now, a strong wind may cause their end. You did see Athena at the wedding, didn’t you?”  
“And because it will be easy, that’s reason enough to kill off our family members again?”  
“You don’t think they already deserve to die? Zeus for his countless actions worthy of death, I don’t think anyone in this room needs a reminder of them,” Styx’s eyes met everyone’s before settling on me. “And the rest of the Olympians’ for their support or, at best, compliance? You think they don’t deserve it after decimating the mortals? After taking one of our own?”  
“The Titans would be more than happy to help us,” Tisiphone added.  
Nearly everyone in the room spoke up, yelling objections.  
My hands started shaking, nausea growing in my stomach as sweat beaded against my skin. The room swayed and I caught myself on the table. “I need a moment.”  
Everyone stopped and stared at me.  
I turned and left the room, Hades’ concern brushing against my back.  
They resumed debating after I left, and I listened to their muffled voices, taking deep breaths to calm myself down.  
This was what war was? Deciding how best to kill off your relatives? I couldn’t imagine putting any of them to my sword, even those I was not fond of. Another wave of nausea hit me as I tried to put those images in my head.  
I had declared war, but I was pulled in so many directions. The actions of another king were deserving of a war, but it would be a war with two sides of the same family. I didn’t want to war with my brothers and sisters, but I would have to. I don’t know if I could fight them, but I would have to.  
How could I be relied upon and looked to, as a ruler, if I didn’t know where I stood? How could I expect my subjects to fight if I didn’t know if I could?  
But I couldn’t let Zeus continue. I had the power to stop him, when most didn’t, but I was still too afraid of the consequences. I could not let my friend wither in Olympus along with my mother. I couldn’t let the earth be killed along with its inhabitants.  
I leaned against the wall, head tipping back as I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing.  
Could I save Alecto, my mother, and the rest of the humans without fighting my family for it?  
While the others argued in the room, I sat outside and thought of a plan, of how exactly I could save the people I cared about, minimize losses on both sides, and prevent something like this from ever happening again.  
Hades joined me, placing a hand on my shoulder and startling me from my thoughts.  
“Are you okay?” She asked softly. “I know this isn’t what you want. I’m sorry it’s come to this.”  
“I’m angry, I’m confused, and I’m terrified, but I’ve never had a clearer path.” I looked up at her and tucked her hair behind her ear.  
“You’ve thought of something?” Her eyes lit with hope. “What is it?”  
So, I showed her through our link everything I had thought of and she stood still as I did. After, I waited for her response. “What do you think?”  
She seemed to fight with herself. “It… could work. But there is a great risk, greater than I think you should be taking, greater than I want you to take.”  
“I have to do this, Hades. I can’t… I can’t bear to do anything else.” I smiled and touched her arm. “Do you trust me?”  
“Completely,” Hades nodded and sighed. “Let’s go tell the others.”  
When we entered the room together, our friends stopped arguing to watch us approach.  
“Are you well?” Hypnos risked asking, voice low and sympathetic.  
“Now, I think so.” I straightened my crown and held my head high as I looked out to them.  
“Persephone has devised a plan that may… solve the problems that many of our previous ideas have held. It’s rough, and we will need to work out many, many details, but I think it could work.” Hades stepped aside for me. “Tell them.”  
I pointed to the village Alecto was called to. “What is the surrounding area like?”  
“Farmland, fields, all barren.”  
“Perfect,” I murmured, and explained my plan to them and they listened intently until I finished. Most agreed, with very little arguing, and we worked long into the night smoothing out the details of it with help of many cups of wine.  
Our friends departed to get some rest, Hecate being the last to leave, although I could tell that I was not alone in being too anxious to sleep, and Hades waited until they were all gone to push me against the war table, take my head in her hands, and kiss me as if our very lives depended on it.  
“I hate this plan more than you know,” Hades murmured, in agony, against my lips.  
I smiled. “Oh, I know.”  
“But I agree with you. I have to let you do this, even if I don’t want you to. I want to keep you safe and sound, in this palace, in my finery, far away from any of those who would do you ill.” I felt her pain, her overpowering need to protect me, and I felt her take a breath and let it go so we could save not just ourselves, but everyone else.  
I looked at her with fierce, shining determination. “I will not allow myself be parted from you, from this life I forged. You know what I must do.”  
Hades nodded, and silently followed me as I whisked myself to Elysium.  
Storm clouds were brewing on the horizon and an uneasy, hot wind made the trees shiver. It felt different than it usually did, more… other than a place of paradise. Parts of the ground were shadowed and barren, the sunlight faded and hollow, as if the true Underworld was poking through Elysium’s typically solid facade.  
I looked to Hades questioningly.  
“The chthonic deities are gathering and storing power for what’s to come. It takes its toll. The residents will not be affected, unless you consider their view of dire consequence.” She spoke as she followed me under the canopy of leaves.  
I ran my fingers over everything, feeling its life, feeling the Underworld beneath it, feeling the balance and stark contrast, exactly what I was like. I stooped to grow a narcissus and handed it to Hades, who took it with a small smile, and I reached up to grasp an unfurling fruit.  
I snapped it off with a sharp crack, watching as Hades tensed from the sound. I carved the pomegranate open savagely, hard flesh tearing and seeds scattering to the ground as I scooped several out with my fingers. I raised my gaze to Hades, who was now watching me enraptured, dark eyes unflinching, waiting. I placed the seeds on my tongue and closed my lips, teeth meeting and the juice exploding in my mouth.  
They tasted like ichor.  
They tasted like power.  
I felt as though a stone in my stomach dropped as I swallowed, some impossibly heavy weight bearing down on my shoulders. Immense pressure from all sides threatened to overwhelm me, and my ears started ringing.  
Amidst all of this, Hades tilted my chin up, taking a few seeds for herself and eating them with a slow, wicked grin, teeth bared and the scarlet that stained them resembling blood. “I lied to you, Persephone. You thought I told you all of my secrets, but I kept one or two to myself. I have always wanted you to bind yourself here. I have always wanted to not be alone with this burden. I have always wanted to taste the Underworld on your lips, to drink it from your being, forever.”  
She pressed her lips to mine, smearing our chins a bright, vicious red, and caught me as my knees buckled. Her blazing eyes turned remorseful. “And I’m sorry I wanted all of these things in you. I have damned you with my want. Sleep, now. I will take care of the other arrangements.”  
Elysium faded to darkness as devastating power rose up in its place.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cthtonic deities rise up from the Underworld to meet the Olympians in the mortal world and are determined to no longer lie idle.

Whispering.  
So many voices, all speaking over each other until they melded together to sound like one monotonous whoosh.  
My head throbbed even before I opened my eyes, and my body felt as though it had been pulled apart and put back together again. Everything hurt. Everything felt so heavy. A force was pushing me down, wanting me to dissolve and spread myself thin…  
“Oh, no, no, no,” a voice rose up beyond the rest, warm fingers brushed against my cheeks. “We can’t have that. Wake up, Persephone.”  
The pull to the Underworld was just as strong as it was to Hades, but I opened my eyes and blinked. The light from the fireplace, usually dim, felt blinding.  
Hades smoothed my hair back from my forehead. “I know, I know. It hurts.”  
“You warned me that it would,” I croaked and sat up, head swimming.  
Hades reached over and retrieved a glass of water from the bedside table, bringing it to my lips. “I want to give you more time to recover, but…”  
“We don’t have time.” I drank the water and hoped it would clear my head. “How long has it been?”  
“A day or so.”  
I frowned. “Did Zeus agree to meet?”  
“Yes.”  
“So everything is in order?”  
“Nearly. We’ve gathered our forces, they’ve been outfitted and given weapons. We’ll go together as the show of force you wanted.”  
“When?”  
“Not now.” Hades ran a hand through my hair again, her eyes bright and tender. Her grip on my hair tightened and she leaned down as she pulled me up, just hard enough to be on the edge of pain. She drew my mouth to hers and I felt her heart pounding beneath the thin, sheer fabric of her peplos. Her breath caught in her throat.  
“What?”  
“You taste of the Underworld now, of its power, its strength, its secrets.” She kissed me again, fervently, sliding across my lap and pushing me back to the pillows. Her cool hair slipping against my chest, her lips burning against my neck.  
“Hades…” I sighed, torn between pleasure and confusion.  
“This is everything I wanted, but I still want more…” Hades kissed my shoulders, waves of emotion washing off of her: need, fear, desperation. “I want to teach you how to deal with this…” Lips against my collarbone. “I want to protect you…” Mouth to my throat. “I want to make love to you…” Teeth pressed to my racing pulse. “I want time. I want peace. I want you.”  
Her words faded to an unconscious repetition of I want, I want, I want…  
I was breathless, caught between her need and mine. “Can’t we multitask?”  
Hades chuckled and lifted her head. “I’m trying.”  
“Oh?”  
She eased my peplos off my shoulders, unclipping my girdle, and patiently waited for me to raise my hips so she could draw the fabric away from my body. “The first lesson is focus. You must focus on your own body and what you feel, hear, and see with it. The voices… they will try to draw you away. They will distract you. They will scream and cry and beg for your attention. The Underworld calls to you, now. You are as much a part of it as I am, or the dead are, or the very stones beneath us. It wants to keep you, make your part of its whole. You can’t listen to any of it. In the beginning, it’s hard. I won’t lie to you. You have to fight to keep yourself together, to keep yourself grounded. Pain helps, but so does pleasure. You must master this or it will master you.”  
“How did you learn?” I asked, my voice only reaching a whisper as her lips trailed down my breasts to my stomach. I inhaled when her mouth reached my navel.  
She stilled before she answered. “Pain. Not the good kind. Let’s not speak of it now.”  
“I’m sorry.”  
Hades looked up and raised herself again, pressing a quick kiss to my lips. “Don’t be, but we’re also wasting time we don’t have. Shall I proceed?” She traced my side with quick, light fingers, ending on my thigh and nails curling into the tender skin there.  
I writhed, my legs shifting to accommodate her on their own accord. “Yes…”  
“I thought so,” she grinned and slipped a hand between my legs, the same fingers turning achingly slow.  
The buzzing voices faded away, replaced with only Hades, her presence all-consuming, demanding, irresistible. She was a storm of emotion, despite her composure, and I felt all of it.  
What if this didn’t work?  
What if this is the last time?  
I can’t be without her.  
I cannot bear it.  
I would sacrifice everything for you…  
We are sacrificing everything.  
I didn’t know if they were her thoughts or mine, but it didn’t matter. Soon I was beyond coherent thoughts, everything frantic passion and frenzied desperation, painting bright crimson and burnt orange beneath my eyelids. I returned every kiss, every caress, every sigh Hades gave me.  
There was no greater intimacy than this, sharing one’s fears and pleasure and thoughts, and I felt as though I would die a true death if I could never have it again.  
Spent, Hades collapsed beside me, catching her breath. I kissed the sweat from her shoulder, utterly drained. The voices hadn’t come back.  
“How is your head feeling?” She smiled.  
“I had forgotten that it even hurt to begin with.”  
“Good,” she coughed and struggled to stand.  
I reached out to her. “Where are you going?”  
Power started leaking from her, the darkness gliding over her bare skin, the contrast making her appear to be carved from marble. It was turbulent and it was growing, covering the room, spreading into the next. She swayed as she took a step and I jumped to help her. “What’s wrong?”  
“The second lesson,” she said faintly, “is that you’ve just grown into unlimited power. You can’t control it, but I can. We don’t have the time it takes to teach you how to process it and expend it safely, so I took it from you when we were…”  
“You don’t look well.”  
“I suppose not. It’s a rather trying task. I need to go outside immediately.”  
I let her lean on me as I found the quickest exit from the palace, completely unconcerned with our nudity. Hades’ skin crackled like lightning to the touch, burning from the inside out, and the power twitched and struck out like a caged beast.  
Once outside, she slipped from my grasp and sank to her knees in the dirt. Slowly, the power sank into the ground and dissipated. I ran my hands over my bare arms as I stood by helplessly.  
A tug to my mind told me to turn, and I followed it to see Markos standing in the doorway with two peploi. He held them up for me to see.  
I accepted them and remarked, “you’re making yourself invaluable, Markos.”  
He nodded to Hades, still crouched on the ground. “She’s been doing this every few hours since you’ve been indisposed.”  
“I didn’t know,” I murmured as I wrapped the peplos around me. “How has she gotten anything done?”  
“She’s a resourceful and determined woman. Everything is in order. As much as it may seem like it, she surrounded herself with those people for their wisdom and insight, not their entertainment.”  
“However tempting that may be at times…” Hades chuckled and coughed as I draped the fabric around her shoulders. She stood to secure it and turned her back to me, facing the Underworld. She took a deep breath and relaxed.  
“What are you looking at?”  
“You should be able to feel it. Just stretch yourself out slightly, but make sure to stay grounded in your…” Hades’ voice faded away.  
Even after her “training,” the Underworld was still pulling me to it and it took less than a thought to let myself follow that tug.  
Cold, static power washed over me, old and infinite, before sharpening to a buzzing, dynamic energy. The Underworld knew war was coming. It felt its residents’ fear, anticipation, excitement, and apprehension. It was turbulent and changing and everything I thought the Underworld wouldn’t be. It was alive.  
The unnamable, unknowable creatures that prowled the dark corners of the realm itched and paced, the souls in Elysium were uneasy from the patchwork of the Underworld slipping through, the souls of the Asphodel Fields restless and wailing because they didn’t understand what was happening, the Titans stood in their cells, heads tilted back, laughing at the prospect of a few of those that had wronged them being turned upon. I could feel Cronus, his amusement, the dream a distant echo, and he seemed to know I could feel him.  
Times have changed, haven’t they? Your golden age may perish. You’ll have your war. We always do.  
A gentle pull in the opposite direction, warm fingers touching my skin, and Hades brought me back to myself again.  
“There’s still so much I need to teach you,” she sighed. “We don’t have any time. We need to prepare. A quick bath is all we can do before we ascend to the mortal world.”  
“May your endeavors prove fruitful, my king and queen. You have done much for us, more than you ever needed, and I would hate to see you perish.”  
“That’s positively kind of you, Markos!”  
His eye twitched. “I was speaking to Hades.”  
Hades grabbed my hand and dragged me along. “We, certainly, do not have time for the both of you to start your bickering. We will return, Markos. I will make sure of it.”  
He bowed as we entered the palace and left him behind.  
“What will happen if we don’t?”  
“It’s not an option.”  
“Hades…”  
“I don’t know, my love. The Underworld will persist without us, I know that, and that’s all that should matter to the mortals.”  
I frowned, falling behind her as her pace sped up. “But it isn’t. They care for you. They love you. They love what you’ve done, what opportunities you’ve given them…”  
“You think they don’t with you?” Hades spun around in the dim hallway. “You’ve made a family with us, Persephone, and you’re so willing to risk everything you’ve gained!”  
“I know it’s a risk. Everything is. But I can’t… I can’t let this continue anymore, Hades. I ran away from my problems and brought them with me, I’ve endangered everyone I grew close to, I made this place a prison!”  
“A prison?” Hades was stunned. “If you think it’s a prison, then why…”  
“We cut off our visitors, we hindered trade, we closed our gates to everyone but the dead. We have torn people away from their other family, forced them to pick a side…” I hung my head. “I have to be the one to end this. It isn’t fair to them to fight a war for me. It isn’t fair to you. I’m willing to fight for it, now, and if that means I’m taking a risk… so be it. I cannot take and take and take without being willing to give as much in return. I have been a pawn. I will not use others the way I have been used.”  
Hades watched me carefully, expression softening. “It’s very noble of you, and I hate it.”  
“Be angry with me after.”  
She reached for me and pulled me into an embrace, setting her chin on top of my head. “I could never.”  
I would have smiled, but settled for saying, “if your intention is to be cross with me, I suppose that’s what matters.”  
Hades didn’t say anything for several moments. “I wish we could stay like this. I don’t want to go. I don’t want to wash blood from your hands. It never comes clean.”  
A vision of pale hands and knees collapsed in the dirt of the Underworld, an overpowering feeling of regret and agony.  
Hades gasped and tucked the memory away. “I’m sorry. That is my burden.”  
I stroked her hair to soothe her before becoming all too aware of the time we were wasting. “What will our subjects think of their king and queen if we don’t lead them?”  
“I’m sure the Erinyes would lead the battle, regardless if we didn’t join them.”  
I smiled. “And they will if we don’t soon.”  
We bathed and dressed quickly, and for warmth. It was tense, quiet. We put on simple peploi before materializing our armor and tied a fur cloaks over it. I tied my hair back in a tight braid, selecting a simple circlet, and stopped when I saw the decorative box Aphrodite had given me. I dabbed some of the cream on my face, thinking it couldn’t hurt.  
Hades was regarding me silently when I turned to look at her, but I asked, “Your helm?”  
She shook her head. “I don’t need it. I want them to see me.”  
I held out my hand. “Then let them see us. It’s time.”  
* * *  
The banks of the Styx were crowded, forms spread out farther than my eyes could see, but for the first time, it was not souls.  
It was gods.  
Hades’ chariot had been made ready and she lifted me into it as our subjects turned in unison to see what would happen next. Almost like my wedding, except for armor and weaponry instead of goblets and finery.  
“I want to speak, Hades,” I murmured to her.  
“Then speak. They wait for you.”  
“Truthfully, I am tired,” I let my voice ring out across the realm. “I am tired of hiding, I am tired of living in the shadows, I am tired of pretending to be weak, and I’m tired of being afraid, as I’m sure you all are too. I’m tired of being afraid of a tyrant that cares so little for any realm that isn’t branded by his name that he treats them as if they were expendable, and any subjects in the realms. It is only his worn legacy that keeps his power gripped tight around the rest of us. He thinks he can make demands, break sacred oaths, and take one of our own for hostage without retaliation because of it. I think it’s time to be rid of it. His complacency will be his downfall.” I drew in a heavy breath. “We will teach him that it is no longer us who should be afraid. We have always been powerful, and now is the time to show our hand.”  
“Together,” Hades nodded.  
The whole realm roared their agreement, swords and spears raised. The emotion that hit me only affirmed my comment of their power, and I clutched the side of the chariot to make sure I didn’t stumble.  
“We meet in the mortal realm, as planned. Good luck. Be safe.” Hades flicked the reins on the chariot and the Underworld blurred into the Erebus all at once.  
The winds picked up and battered my face again, but unlike before, we were not alone. I heard chanting in ancient tongues, the sound of wings and hooves, swords drumming against shields.  
Together.  
My fists clenched the edge of the chariot in anticipation, and apprehension, of the coming event.  
Persephone…  
They don’t think me selfish, do they? That I am using them to fight my battles? That I married for a power only to extend it so shortly? That I am not holding to my vows?  
Why would you ask that? Of course not.  
I couldn’t do this alone, Hades. I know that. How could I topple a king? But this isn’t about me anymore. This is for the mortals, for Alecto and my mother, for the countless women that have come before me and will come after me, if I don’t intervene. If we have the power to end so much suffering, how could we sit idle any longer?  
We couldn’t, Hades agreed.  
If I am not around to tell them this, please make sure they know. How I care about them so much I can hardly bare the thought of putting them through another war, putting them at risk, and am only doing so as a last resort. Even so, I will be on the front lines. I will put myself in front of them.  
Hades didn’t bother chastising me for my words. She only nodded.  
Light shone in front of us and I took her hand in mine as we neared, and emerged, in the mortal realm. There was a pain in my chest that made me grind my teeth, like a part of me had been ripped out and left behind.  
The binding. Breathe through it.  
I squinted through the sunlight as I heard our army forming their ranks behind us. The snow that covered the plain was unmolested, and all was silent except for my people, my labored breathing.  
Hades squeezed my hand and turned to watch the rest arrive.  
They gleamed black, silver, and red in the light, shaped into neat lines. Countless leagues of the Oneiroi and the Keres took to the skies as a great shape exited the Erebus behind them, one hundred arms stretching a vast distance, all fifty heads surveying the land.  
“Welcome to the mortal realm again, Kottos.” Hades bowed her head slightly with respect.  
“Just as unsavory as I remembered,” he said disdainfully. “But I could not ignore Praxidike’s call.”  
“Thank you,” I murmured and he nodded his heads in return.  
Those that were at our war table joined us in the front. I paled at the sight of Hecate, Styx, and Nyx in their armor, something so foreign to me it was hard to grasp. The others, the twins and the Erinyes, were accustomed to battle and I had seen them in their armor before, but Hecate? Nyx?  
“Do not fret, young one,” Erebus smiled as he materialized next to Nyx. “We are far too old to not be familiar with war.”  
Styx looked out over the army, her mouth a thin line. “History will be changed after this day, I know it.”  
Nyx and Hecate nodded solemnly, and I stepped down from the chariot.  
As soon as my feet touched the earth, my power expanded until I sensed everything around for miles. Distantly, I heard Hades gasp.  
It wasn’t dead. I knew death.  
It was frozen, cold, waiting.  
Thaw, I thought. Grow.  
The snow began to melt and the water fed the ground, nourishing the plants that lay dormant beneath. The power granted by the Underworld did not hinder it, but helped me push it further than I had ever dreamed. I felt the earth awaken at my touch.  
I was still crouched on the ground when storm clouds rolled in and the Olympians began to descend from the sky.  
I straightened and took my place beside Hades in the chariot as our friends formed a line at our backs. We could only watch as people we knew as family formed their army on the opposite side of the field.  
“Styx, you were right. Look at them,” Thanatos said impassively.  
“Their immortality is diminished,” continued Hypnos, seeing their golden glow dim. “This is hardly a fair fight.”  
“As if they deserve a fair fight,” Tisiphone spat.  
Lightning struck the ground in front of the Olympian army and Zeus emerged from the smoke. His guards--Zelus, Nike, Kratos, and Bia— trailed behind him.  
Styx watched her children closely, catching their gazes, and gave a nearly imperceptible nod. They did not acknowledge her.  
Megaera and Tisiphone hissed and gripped the hilt of their swords.  
“Where is our sister?”  
In return, Zeus only laughed.  
“We will talk,” my voice rang out, amplified, “alone!”  
“Very well!”  
I brushed Hades’ shoulder as I stepped off the chariot, our final touch. I met the eyes of the chthonic deities and nodded, and they nodded back.  
We met in the middle of the field, our allies behind us standing in formidable lines. I had to avoid looking behind Zeus, for fear of how many of my siblings I would see, and kept my gaze trained on my one, true enemy.  
Storm clouds and accompanying streaks of lightning and booms of thunder rolled across the sky from Zeus’ power. The earth warmed to melt the snow and greens shot up around our feet as a result of mine.  
“You didn’t bring my mother, or Alecto.”  
“How perceptive of you, daughter.”  
“This is pointless, as I’m sure you know. A battle will only result in loss for you. You’re weak, you’re all weak, and this poor display of power,” I looked up at the sky, “is draining what little you have left. You look like mortals,” I spat, and let my power extend up to the heavens, something I had never done before, and rain began to fall, melting what little snow remained.  
My gaze returned to him as I bared my teeth. “Perhaps I am your daughter after all. I have grown so powerful the earth and the dead and the sky listen to me, and you should as well.” I took a deep breath. “Your childish tantrum has gone too far. If you wanted me before I was married, before I was deflowered, before I took up the mantle Fate had bestowed upon me, it’s far too late for that.”  
Zeus sneered down at me, using his height to intimidate me as he had done when I was a child. “What is keeping me from taking you right now?”  
“Nothing,” I said plainly. “You could do that, if you wished. I came here alone and you may overpower me, but you should consider this before you act. Do you know what is keeping them from wiping all of you out?” I glanced behind me, taking in the sight of the chthonic deities standing shoulder to shoulder, dressed in their battle-scarred armor, the ground shadowed with the creeping power of the Underworld. “My word.”  
He scoffed in disbelief. In his eyes, no woman held enough power to start a war of the gods with a word, and none had, before me.  
“You thought you should fear your offspring with Metis? You should have feared me.” My voice was edged in steel and his gray eyes widened.  
“This is your final chance. Relinquish Alecto and my mother, and you may continue with your foolish rule, or I shall tear it from you and sit on your throne as queen of the gods and life and death.”  
His eyes narrowed noticeably, perhaps considering my words, but I was never able to decipher what he was thinking. I only knew his anger would explode suddenly, and that was what it did.  
Zeus backhanded me across the face, hard enough to taste my own ichor as my head snapped back and I crumpled to the ground. I glanced back at Hades one last time, smiled, and felt another blow as everything dissolved into darkness.


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persephone, now back in Olympus, uses to opportunity to rescue Alecto and Demeter, before her final confrontation with Zeus.

Come back… Come back…  
I moaned against a warm floor as the Underworld goaded me to return to it. It was so enticing, so promising to make the pain stop, to make myself whole again that I almost succumbed. I opened my eyes in a jolt.  
How much time had passed? How much time did I have left?  
“I hear I’m missing out on a grand battle.” I could hear the grin in Alecto’s voice even though I couldn’t see her.  
“All for your honor, I assure you,” I coughed and tried to sit up, but I was so weak my body didn’t seem to be cooperating. My wrists were bound with golden chains and my power, something that was always present, gone.  
“These chains really work, don’t they? I haven’t felt a hint of my power since I was tied up.”  
“What’s going on? How long has it been since I got here? Did he… do anything to you?”  
“You think he’d come near me even if I was tied up? I would make him like Uranus with my teeth!” Alecto laughed and I heard her trying to move around. “But to directly answer your questions… He hasn’t done anything I couldn’t handle. He isn’t interested in me. You’ve been here for a few hours, and I know there’s a battle in the mortal world. Most of Olympus is emptied, but many refused to fight. Either too weak or too smart. You’ll never hear me say the later again.”  
I smiled. “How did I get here?”  
“Zeus dropped you off, chained you up, told me as much as I told you, and left.” Alecto sighed. “I’ll never hear the end of this from my sisters.”  
“Where is my mother?”  
“I haven’t seen Demeter at all. He’s made sure to keep us separated, I think.”  
I groaned and forced myself to sit up, ignoring how my head swam. “We need to get out of here.”  
“We do, but Persephone… We’re imprisoned, in Olympus, with the same chains that hold the Titans. Believe me, I’ve tried getting out of these.”  
I took a steadying moment to survey the room, which looked like one of the many spare rooms in the palace Zeus shared with Hera. The stonework had always been revered in Olympus, distinctive marble with veins of gold. Alecto’s arms were chained to a column of it, her fiery hair disheveled.  
Heavy steps echoed down the hallway before I could say anything else to her and her eyes flicked to the doorway in disgust. Zeus entered moments later with a wide grin, flanked by Kratos and Bia.  
Alecto spat at his feet. “Hiding from the front lines like a coward? I’m shocked.”  
“You are lucky you have value, Fury, or I would have killed you already. You are becoming very irritating, and now that I have what I want,” he hissed sharply, his eyes taking their time to sweep over me, “your value seems to be coming to an end.”  
“So you’re letting them fight for you? Weak, just as I said. You cannot even rally all of your subjects.” I laughed humorlessly. “A king who cannot lead is no king at all.”  
Energy crackled in the room, my hair lifting from static, as Zeus swelled and stormed closer. “What would you be doing now, daughter?”  
“My hands are not bound so tightly that my reach does not extend, even now,” I smiled and closed my eyes, distantly feeling the echoes of Hades parrying a strong blow.  
“I can fix—”  
A delicate hand wrapped around his arm. “Don’t. She’s only trying to upset you and shift your focus from her friend. She antagonizes people when she’s scared.”  
Chains that held the Titans or not, I stood and launched myself at her.  
Zeus pushed me back easily, laughing. “Not a happy reunion?”  
Chloris’ delicate mouth pulled into a grin. “Hello, Persephone.”  
Alecto, wisely, said nothing, but her eyes narrowed to slits.  
“You?” I panted, sliding down the wall to the floor. “Why?”  
“You were always so self-centered, focusing on yourself and your wants and needs and your views of the world and the people around you set in stone. You were blinded by it. You weren’t happy with your station here, you think I was happy with mine? The flower maiden, kidnapped and forced into marriage? I wanted more, so when I saw the opportunity to seize it, I took it, just as you did. Is that so terrible?”  
“What did you offer her,” I hissed, raising my eyes to Zeus, “to spy for you?”  
Chloris stroked his arm in a way that was far more intimate than I liked to see. Alecto made a gagging sound and Chloris pointedly ignored her. “A place next to him on the throne.”  
“And Hera will stand idle and let that happen? She would sooner burn Olympus to the ground.”  
“Hera is weak. She refused to fight.”  
I laughed again. “She is wiser than you, then, and more of a queen than you ever could be. A spy is a tool to be used, and discarded, not put on a throne. You will suffer for this, whether it be by my hand or his.”  
“We shall see about that.” She turned to Zeus. “We have more arrangements to see to.”  
His gray eyes fell on me instead and Chloris frowned. “She’s chained, she isn’t going anywhere. If you’re concerned, post Kratos or Bia to guard them.”  
Zeus jerked his chin towards Bia, who nodded and took her place by the door as they left.  
“Well, that was enlightening,” Alecto remarked. “Shall I let you skin her alive or may I have the honor?”  
“I will take care of it. The things I could subject her to in Tartarus…” I shivered despite the heat of my anger.  
“If she thinks Zeus will make her queen and let her keep the position permanently…”  
“She’s a fool. He will grow bored of her. Her usefulness is already at an end.”  
“Frankly, I thought she was too stupid to be a spy. I’m almost impressed, if I wasn’t currently wanting to tear her throat out with my bare hands.” Alecto paused. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry, Persephone.”  
I bit my lip and swallowed. “I’ll learn from this mistake.”  
I had argued Chloris’ innocence, trusted her implicitly with my thoughts and feelings, confided in her, let her stay in my home, while she had been reporting everything to Zeus. How had I not seen that I had permitted an Olympian to stay, her movements unwatched, for months? I had trusted a former version of her from our youth, and it wouldn’t happen again. I was nauseated.  
“And I’m very sorry, too, Alecto. You wouldn’t be here if I had been more careful.”  
“The fault is entirely on Zeus and Chloris, and they will pay. I would be at my queen’s disposal, should you need me for it.”  
I chuckled. “I’ll keep it under advisement.”  
“In the meantime, what will we do about our predicament?”  
I looked at Bia, who still stood at the door, saying and expressing nothing. I wondered if Styx had indeed persuaded her children to help us.  
Light footsteps approached from the hall before I had the chance to ask, and Hera appeared in the doorway, diminished but looking every bit as queenly as I remembered. Her peplos was woven gold and blue and a diadem of sapphires and emeralds crowned her head. Bia immediately dropped into a bow.  
Hera looked dispassionately down at her. “You are relieved.”  
Bia stood and walked out the door without a word.  
Hera looked at the chains, and then at Alecto. “I’m sorry for this.”  
“And I’m sorry for what I had to do because of it.”  
She nodded gravely and moved to leave. “I trust you have a way out of this?”  
“I do.”  
“You always were my favorite. You haven’t disappointed.” She smiled faintly and disappeared.  
I glanced at Alecto, who was watching me closely. “What?”  
“What was that about?”  
“Hera raised me when my mother wouldn’t… the trips to the mortal world every year began after her insistence.” I struggled to my feet and slowly walked over to Alecto. “I don’t know how long we have, so I’ll have to be quick.”  
I tried to loosen the chains wrapped around her wrists, the metal stinging my fingertips, until Alecto groaned. Her wrists were already chaffed and bloody from what I assumed were previous attempts to free herself. I looked around the room, and grabbed an unlit oil lamp.  
As I poured some of the oil on her hands and wrists, she growled, “What is that?”  
“Oil. Now… here!” I managed to slide her hands through the chains.  
She gasped and pulled her arms to her front, wringing them out. “This feels amazing. Here, let me help…”  
“No, don’t. I need to look harmless, and you need to stay put for the time being. Zeus will return for me, hopefully soon, and once we leave, I need you to go find my mother, and then find me.”  
“Why ‘hopefully soon’?”  
With my anger dissipating, I could feel the Underworld’s pull once again.  
Come home…  
I shivered and tried to shake the feeling away. “Let’s just say we have a time limit.”  
“Why don’t we just grab your mother and get out of here now?”  
“Because it won’t fix anything permanently. Let me do this, Alecto. Trust me.”  
She sighed heavily and crossed her arms. “So we wait?”  
“We wait.” I settled back to my position against the wall and leaned my head back, concentrating on the draining, stinging sensation the chains caused on my wrists. How strange it was to not be able to sense my power.  
“Is it true you finally declared war after I was taken?”  
“Of course.”  
“A war isn’t worth one person.”  
I frowned. “As much as I’d like to say it was only caused by one person I care about being taken, and I do care about you, you know it wasn’t that. You were just the final straw.”  
“I know. I just hope you know what you’re doing.”  
“I am going to finish this, I swear it.”  
Hours passed, Alecto and I chatting about the ways we could make Zeus and Chloris suffer, but no one returned. The pull of the Underworld was becoming more than just an itch, and impossible to ignore. My teeth were clenched so hard my jaw ached.  
“Persephone… you don’t look well. What’s wrong?”  
“Time limit.” I sucked in a breath. “I don’t think I can wait very much longer.”  
“What did you do?” Alecto asked slowly, eyes blazing, realizing.  
“What I had to.”  
I stood. Despite the chains and the pain of the Underworld, I was growing stronger. I still didn’t have my power, but I wasn’t as weak as I was physically. “Zeus, you coward, come out! You have what you wanted, don’t you? Now you just stick me in a closet? Not man enough to even have what you wanted?”  
My voice echoed across the marble walls and floors. Moments later, Zeus stormed into the room, followed by Kratos.  
“Where is Bia? No matter.” He grabbed for me and I backed away into the wall. “You think I’m not man enough? You will regret this.”  
Across the room, Alecto made to attack him but stopped when I glared at her. Her arms went back to being wrapped around the column.  
Trapped against the wall, Zeus pulled at my peplos. My armor surged forward in response and he snatched his hand away, hissing. “What is this?”  
“A gift.”  
He grabbed the top of my chest plate and tossed me to the ground in front of Kratos. “Follow me. Drag her, if you must.”  
I spat at him as I got back to my feet. “I can walk.”  
“That may change.” He motioned to leave and Kratos wrapped a thick, calloused hand around my arm and tugged at me to follow.  
I glanced back at Alecto and nodded.  
After taking a few twists and turns down various hallways, I asked, “where are we going? Where is my mother?”  
“You’ll see soon enough.”  
We entered an antechamber, not unlike the rooms outside Hades’ bedroom. Chloris entered from the opposite room, wrapped in a sheet and otherwise naked.  
“Why is she here? You have proven your point, she is no longer necessary.”  
“Be silent,” Zeus snapped. “Kratos, shut the door behind you.”  
Not taking the risk of relying on his help, I tripped Kratos, summoned the Helm, and grabbed his sword as I disappeared.  
Chloris gasped as Zeus laughed, drawing the sword from his hip and eyes scanning the room. “How many tricks do you have?”  
I silently thanked Hecate for the idea of linking myself to the Helm of Darkness and moved as quietly as I could in my armor, testing my bound hands and the flexibility they still had. I whispered in a spot I knew would echo and not reveal my location. “Many.”  
He spun around slowly. “Hades gave you her Helm?”  
“What’s hers is mine, and vice versa. Isn’t that how marriage works?” I moved again.  
“It’s rather unfortunate, isn’t it? I may not be able to see you, but you are still here.”  
“I’m right where I planned to be.”  
“Persephone, don’t be foolish, this isn’t—“ Chloris never finished her sentence because I backhanded her across the face, and she crumpled to the floor.  
I sent the Helm away and appeared before Zeus. “I have no need to hide to defeat you. I don’t even need my power. Let’s end this.”  
Rage filled his eyes at my calm defiance and absolute certainty and he slashed out with his sword. I parried and sparks flew off the metal. Static filled the room as he tried to consolidate his power, blindly slashing again. I jumped out of the way and sliced into his arm as a warning.  
The ichor that bled out was the palest, saddest gold I had ever seen. I laughed.  
He roared and lunged, feigning an attack to the right and swinging to my left at the last moment. The sword scraped across the edge of my chest plate and metal squealed. Thunder boomed in the room and stunned me, knocking me onto my back and making me lose my breath. My sword spun away from me on the ground.  
I gasped as he stood over me and the edges of my vision wavered with black. The pressure on my lungs, my whole body burned to return to the Underworld.  
“I should just kill you and be done with it.” He pointed his sword at my throat. “For all the trouble you’ve caused me.”  
“I could say the same.” I summoned my true sword and sliced into his calf, rolling out of the way as his blade came down and wasting no time getting to my feet.  
He bellowed and hacked at me. I parried every blow through the pain. “Kratos, what are you doing? Help me!”  
I caught another blow and our swords ground together. I glanced at Kratos, who shook his head as he stood.  
“Our mother is not pleased with you, Zeus. We will do nothing.”  
“Your rule is ending, Father. See how your throne is crumbling.”  
He withdrew and launched more quick and powerful attacks. It was getting harder and harder to block or dodge them, but his breath was growing labored just as mine was.  
My hair was yanked backwards and a small knife appeared at my throat. Chloris whispered into my ear. “Even roses have thorns. I am not so helpless as you thought.”  
“No, but you’re just as frail.” I threw my head back hard and heard the satisfying crunch of her nose breaking.  
She screamed and dropped the dagger, clutching her nose as ichor seeped between her fingers.  
“Useless,” Zeus hissed and raised his sword again.  
“You will never have me, Zeus, and I will make sure you will never do this again.” I raised my sword and brought it down hard, Zeus barely able to block it. “This is for the mortals who have starved and frozen because you thought nothing was above having your way.” I slashed at him again, cutting deep into his good arm. “For the women who have suffered at your advances.” I cut a warning down his chest. “For my mother.” I sliced open the wrist of the hand holding his sword and he dropped it. “For Alecto.” I stabbed into the muscle of his thigh and watched as he fell to his knees in front of me.  
Alecto ran through the door, my mother in tow. She nodded at me, and I jerked my chin to Chloris.  
“And this, Father, oh… this is for me.” I grinned, sheathing my sword. I grabbed the neckline of his chiton and held my other free hand out for Alecto, who had a firm grip on my mother and Chloris, who was still blubbering.  
And I let go.  
The Underworld blackened the room, snuffing out the lit torches, and wrapped around me in a familiar embrace, and we were all pulled below.  
I knew exactly where I wanted to go.  
We appeared in Tartarus and the pain vanished. Chloris and my mother cried out, but Alecto kept hold of both of them so they wouldn’t stumble off the pathway.  
We were surrounded with the screams of the tortured mortals and the laughing of the unknown creatures who first called me their queen. Ixion spinning on his wheel and the scent of his burning flesh, the vultures tearing skin and organs from Tityos’ abdomen, Salmoneus wailing against Typhon’s storms, Sisyphus slipping and being crushed by his boulder.  
“Epaine…”  
“Wanakt-ja…”  
“Despoena…”  
“Welcome home…”  
“Be quiet,” I snapped at the creatures.  
“Yes, Epaine…” A final murmur and silence.  
I seized Chloris by her hair and made her face the scenes before us. “Do you see all of this? What punishment do you think would fit your betrayal? Should I have vultures pluck out your eyes over and over again? Should I give you a garden where nothing will grow, ever? Should I have you been chased by the wind, with no escape, no matter where you go? Should I throw you to the creatures and tell them they may attack and eat you when I give them permission, so you will live every moment, here in Tartarus, wondering if it’s your last?”  
Chloris wailed inarticulate words.  
“Well?” I raised my eyebrow and waited for an answer. “Your time is up. Honestly, I think it’s all too good for you.”  
I tossed her into the abyss and watched her disappear, her screams melding in with the rest of them. The creatures began to laugh.  
Zeus stared wide-eyed at me, and backed away from me on his hands and knees.  
“And I think I may have just the thing for you, Father,” I smiled savagely. “Gyges, open the door.”  
“Yes, Praxidike.” He emerged from the darkness and my mother scrambled behind Alecto.  
I dragged Zeus by his chiton to the door that held the Titans.  
As some of Gyges’ hands open the door, the others took my wrists with surprising gentleness. “Here, these are not for you.” He unbound the chains and my power returned to me once again, even in Tartarus.  
Darkness and flame surged from me, and when I grabbed Zeus again, the fabric began to burn at my touch. I looked back at Alecto and my mother, both awestruck and afraid.  
“Stay here.”  
The doors opened and released the same putrid, stale air as before, and I fearlessly dragged Zeus through them. He scratched the floor trying to find purchase and prevent himself from entering. The golden chains clanged against metal, the imprisoned Titans chanting in their old tongue, as I approached the very last cell.  
Cronus stood there, waiting for me.  
“I brought you a gift.” I flicked my wrist and the chain in his mouth fell.  
He smiled. “I’m positively delighted. I’ve spent so much time envisioning this reunion and all the activities we may engage in.”  
Zeus struggled against me, but he was weak and I was not. Not in my kingdom, not in my realm, never again. “Stop, please, I beg you, anything but Cronus. Anything.”  
“Oh? Now you’d like to bargain?”  
“Yes, please, I will do anything,” he wailed and still struggled against my grasp.  
“Look at how pitiful he is,” I remarked.  
“His power was in his ability to rally and lead. Without it, he was never that remarkable.”  
“I beg you, Daughter, let me—”  
I shook him to be silent. “You will never hurt those I care about, you will never threaten us, you will never send spies here, you will never raise another army against us, you will not make the mortals suffer for your personal gain, you will never, ever try to control my realm. If you fail to comply to this, I will drag you back to Tartarus personally, and throw you in that cell with Cronus, and walk away forever.”  
“Yes, I agree to your terms, I accept.” Zeus sniffed and I let go of him. He fell backwards.  
“You can keep your pathetic throne, but just know that every day you rule from this day forward is because I allow it, and I can take it just as easily from you as I have now. Do you understand?”  
He nodded.  
“Good.” I dragged him back out of the room of the Titans and Gyges sealed the door behind me.  
Alecto stood clutching my mother and even she looked frightened at the scenes before us.  
“We’ve come to an agreement, it seems.” I held out my hand again and Alecto took it without delay.  
We appeared on the mortal world in the middle of the battlefield, with a great clap of power and a wave of darkness. The falling rain hissed and steamed against my armor as I took in the fighting.  
Athena was locked in battle with Ares, Hecate with Hermes, Hades with Poseidon, Styx with Enyo, Thanatos with Eris, Hypnos with Deimos, Tisiphone and Megaera with Anaideia and Hybris, the Keres and Oneiroi clashed with the Makhai and Androktasiai, Artemis peppered the Olympians with arrows while her twin fired back on the Chthonic deities, Kottos threw boulders into the forces of the Olympians, Nyx and Erebus sent waves of night and shadow against Aether’s light.  
But the chaos around me stopped.  
It was clear the Olympians were near losing, but none were dead. I had been very, very clear about that.  
Injure and incapacitate, but don’t kill unless absolutely necessary.  
I threw Zeus to the muddy ground in front of my feet as everyone stilled and waited for what was going to happen next.  
“Go home. It’s over.” My voice rolled across the field.  
A great breath was let go, swords and shields were lowered, and people went to go pick up their fallen friends and family. No one had wanted this. Zeus crawled over to the Olympians and was promptly whisked away, Alecto went to rejoin her sisters, but my mother cowered behind me.  
As gods mingled quietly and tensely before departing, I bent down to my mother. She was disheveled, hair knotted, and covered in sweat and dirt. I tried to brush her hair away from her forehead gently and she jumped at my touch, so I withdrew my hand.  
“I’m sorry for what you had to see, Mother, but it had to be done. He will never touch you again.” The only thing I could see in her eyes was fear, no recognition, no relief. I didn’t know what to do. I had never known how to comfort her. I sighed and stood as Athena approached. “Daeira found me, you know. She became a close friend.”  
Her eyes flickered up to me. “She did? Good girl.”  
“She passed on to Elysium, to find her son.”  
“Eleusis…”  
Athena touched my shoulder and looked down at my mother with pity. “Shall I take her home?”  
“Made sure she’s taken care of, and surrounded by her nymphs. They were always her greatest comfort.” I knelt once more. “Mother, you have much work to do. The mortals need you.”  
“I will,” Athena nodded, “and I’ll try to help as much as I can. Perhaps I can find Eleos or Epione.” She looked back at me. “I’m very proud of you, little sister. You’ve done well.”  
I dipped my chin in respect, but arms circled around me and threw me into the air. Hypnos and Thanatos laughed as Hades rushed to catch me.  
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she took my head in her hands and kissed me softly, over and over and over again. “You’re alright…”  
I smiled against her lips. “Did you have so little faith in me?”  
The rest of our family circled around us with outstretched arms and I was embraced many times over.  
“We had complete faith in you,” Hecate smiled.  
Megaera and Tisiphone knelt before me. “And we would follow you anywhere, our queen.”  
I looked at my family, so unbelievably relieved that they were unharmed, and a knot formed in my throat. I sagged against Hades and gave them a weary smile. “Then follow me home.”


	31. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Though the conflict has ended, Persephone realizes she is not meant for the Underworld alone, and tries to balance her duties as peace and springtime settle across all the realms.

A few weeks had passed in quiet, tentative peace before Athena visited me. The Underworld had stilled, people moved freely, and I was just glad for it to be over. I felt as though I could finally rest knowing myself, my family, and the mortals were no longer at risk. I had never slept as soundly as I had the night we returned home; triumphant, bloodied, and exhausted.  
After being summoned from my rooms by Markos, I received Athena in the grand library, to which she stared about in wonder. I watched silently and studied how her color was starting to return to her, the glow of immortality no longer as muted as it had been, but there were still remnants of dark circles below her eyes.  
“Demeter has been rebuilding in Eleusis, and has put out the call to remaining nymphs that they are welcome there.”  
“I’m glad to hear that.” I nodded over to some armchairs set up around a large fireplace. “Shall we sit?”  
“Yes, thank you.” Her footsteps were light but she settled a little too heavily into one of the chairs. “You know, it’s another kind of courage to rebuild there, to show him that they aren’t afraid of his destruction.”  
“I know.” I summoned a bottle of wine and some goblets for us. She was silent as I poured. “Why are you here, sister?”  
“Demeter has extended an invitation to you.”  
“I couldn’t stay very long.”  
Athena nodded solemnly. “She knows that.”  
“What has she said about all of this?”  
“She… understands.”  
“But?” I prodded.  
“She doesn’t like it.”  
“She doesn’t have to,” I busied myself with a sip of wine.  
Athena leaned forward in her chair. “I agree. You dealt with the conflict to the best of your abilities, admirably, with no casualties. War is never won without them, and yet… Not everyone could do what you did.” She paused and watched the fire as she swirled the wine in her glass. It was a familiar gesture, and comforting to know she was still as restless as ever.  
“You know I couldn’t have won if he hadn’t been so weakened.”  
“I’m not so sure. You have grown formidable, and determined.” Athena grinned. “I have seen many inexplicable feats accomplished by men and women when they have a cause to fight for. Regardless, that is a facet of life Demeter has always shied from, but she’s aware of it, accepts it. I believe she didn’t want her daughter to be so…”  
“Adept at it?”  
“Indeed. She’s recovered, as best she can, from this latest ordeal and she wants to see you. I think you should go.”  
“Now?”  
“Now is as good as time as any, unless you have other guests to attend.”  
You should go, my love… You’ve been waiting for this.  
Eavesdropping? I fought not to smile as Athena continued to talk but I wasn’t listening.  
I was intrigued, and don’t change the topic. Go, Persephone. You need to witness the full weight of your actions.  
I sighed. “Fine, I’ll go.”  
But I have to do it alone, I added silently.  
“Wonderful,” Athena smiled brightly. “It should be afternoon in Eleusis.”  
“Remind me to shield my eyes.”  
Her smile turned into a scowl. “You all are like owls down here.”  
I grinned and helped her stand. “I thought you liked owls.”  
“Lucky you.”  
“Just follow me outside and I shall whisk you back to the land of the living,” I offered, with a wink.  
“I don’t know how you ever managed to get used to this place,” Athena remarked as I led her through the passageways to the entrance.  
“The palace?”  
“All of it; this maze, the darkness, the emptiness of this place…”  
“There is so much more here than you can perceive. Hades and I are linked to this place, connected to it in a way so profound, so completely… I cannot put it into words. There are so many souls, so much life here, you just have to know where to look and how to listen.” I paused. “As for the palace, time and a map.”  
“That’s comforting, in a way…” Her eyes trailed off into the murky horizon, how the gray earth and black sky blended together. “I could tell the fallen soldiers that while I part with them in their world, my sister will receive them in the next.”  
“And I will.” I clasped her hand and concentrated on Eleusis.  
My sister looked around wildly as the darkness clouded around us and vanished to reveal blinding daylight.  
My eyes watered and I sucked in a shaky breath as the absence of the Underworld ripped a hole through my being. I wavered and Athena caught me.  
“Are you well?”  
“I will be. I’m not used to this feeling yet. The binding gave me much, but it was for a price.” I squinted at the view and regained my footing.  
The sky was overcast, and Eleusis… It was rebuilding, yes, but the earth was bare. The fields of wheat and groves of olive trees that had been vividly imprinted on my memory were gone. My mother’s temple was nearly finished, and it appeared to be of the same design.  
A light rain started to fall and I knelt to touch the earth. I could feel the life dormant, the root systems still present.  
Grow, I commanded. My mother, the nymphs, the mortals… they needed this.  
The earth obeyed me and green shoots began to sprout from the ground. Somewhere, distantly, I felt Gaia sigh.  
“There you are, Athena, Persephone,” my mother’s light voice came from behind.  
I stood and shook the dirt from my peplos. “You found us quickly.”  
“Your presence is like a storm, now. It’s hard to ignore.” She looked at my meager work. “Thank you, for that.”  
“I must depart, I’m afraid. I hope to see you both soon.” Athena smiled.  
“Leaving already?”  
“I wish to speak with you privately,” Demeter nodded. “Farewell, my niece.”  
Athena dipped her head and summoned her war horse, jumping into the saddle with ease. “Goodbye.”  
My mother took my hand, her touch startling. “Come with me.”  
“I’m glad you’ve recovered,” I murmured as I followed her like a child.  
“I was not myself when you saved me. Even now, I can hardly recall what happened. Your sister had to inform me of the events.”  
“A blessing from Lethe, I think. I would not wish for you to remember.”  
“I think so as well.” Demeter stopped at the edge of an empty field. “Will you work with me?”  
“Of course.” I dropped to my knees immediately.  
“We only need the sprouts, the people of Eleusis can handle the rest.” Her hands met the earth as mine did and our power shot through and stirred life from the seeds and roots, across multiple fields. “You’ve grown so strong.”  
“I… Thank you.”  
“I want you to know that I’m proud of you, for what you did. You easily could have turned a blind eye in the Underworld. I would have, certainly, but you didn’t.”  
“I am not you.”  
“And I’m thankful for that. Everyone is…” She nodded to the nymphs lining the edge of the fields to watch. “The nymphs, the mortals, they’re calling you the goddess of spring now. You returned and brought life with you. You vanquished winter and… Zeus.”  
“I did not kill him,” I quickly protested.  
“I know, but your actions have prevented him from continuing his terror. Would you not call that vanquished?”  
I was silent.  
“I have done many wrongs by you, Persephone. I know that. I always have. I was terrified, for myself and for you, and although this is not an excuse or a plea for your understanding, I’m glad you had been raised by them.”  
I turned to her, mouth parting in shock at the blatant admission.  
“Daughter, please, listen to me!” She held up her hands to placate me. “I mean that if you had been raised by me, you would have been taught weakness through my example, you would have been different. I do not know if you would have been able to rise and conquer the challenges you faced, had it been otherwise. I am so very grateful you do not have the weaknesses I do, for I surely would have given them to you, at the time.” She sat back on the ground and watched me. “I will never ask your forgiveness for my actions, but I will never stop trying to redeem myself to my daughter. I owe that to you.”  
A knot had formed in my throat when she spoke and the rain came faster. Thick droplets sank into my peplos, but it was warm. “I… cannot guarantee your redemption, but I will not ignore your efforts.”  
“That’s all I can ask.” She dipped her head and returned to urging the crops to grow. I watched her for several moments before she spoke again. “Your sister… told me what happened in the Underworld. Your marriage, how you bound yourself as Hades had done… I remember the darkness, the cold, so many hands, and screaming…” Her voice had started to shake and grow distant.  
“Tartarus,” I clipped. “I had to take you all, to scare him, to prove my threats. I wish you could have been spared from that, in your state, but I had apologized, after.” I stopped myself and rolled my tense shoulders. “I did what what necessary of me, for everyone.”  
“And Chloris? They tell me you left her there.”  
“That was for me, I admit. I had been very close with her as a child, as I’m sure you remember, and she had been invited to Elysium and was allowed to stay, under the guise of wanting a break from her marriage with Zephyrus, but it was a lie. She was sent by Zeus, to glean information from me. She had been promised a throne.”  
Demeter spat. “He lies.”  
“I had confided so many of my doubts to her, she attended my wedding, lived in the blessed afterlife… All for Zeus. I could not let such actions go without punishment.” I sighed heavily and took a moment to listen to the rain between breaths. “It is done. Now I must wait to see how my actions withstand the strain of time.”  
“That is the hardest part for gods, Daughter, but I will not be wrong when I say they will never accuse you of inaction.” She looked at my and held my gaze, searching my face for something I couldn’t guess. “When did you become so wise?”  
“After much indecision and turmoil,” I offered her a small, close-lipped smile.  
“And does it hurt, to be here?” She gestured around us.  
“Yes. I had been trying to explain to Athena, but the simplest way I can state it is that the binding offered many benefits, but not without taking one of its own. I belong to the Underworld now. It’s like a fresh, throbbing wound. A piece of my being will always stay there, to bring me back home.”  
“A piece of you will always stay here, to remind you of your origins.” Demeter clasped her hands in her lap and looked away from me, sharply. I saw a tear roll down her cheek.  
I reached out to her. “I’ll visit every spring and autumn. I’ll be here to help with the planting, and the harvest.”  
She smiled. “I would like that very much.”  
I stood and pulled her with me. “I should go, Mother.”  
“I wish you wouldn’t.”  
“But I must.”  
“I know,” she mirrored my earlier sad smile. “Go home.”  
I stepped away from her and was swallowed in the Underworld’s embrace. I appeared back into the comfortable dark and replaced my peplos with a fresh one before entering the Hall of Judgement. The judges were surprised to see me.  
It wasn’t unwarranted; I hadn’t returned to my duties at the Hall since before the battle. I hadn’t felt well, even after the sleep, and Hades had said it could be an after effect of being gone from the Underworld, for as long as I had, so shortly after the binding. In truth, I was sick of the death. To see the souls killed by the winter, still helplessly observing the continued ramifications of recent events… I was unable to bring myself to do it. Hades told me I needed the rest.  
“Carry on,” I waved them off and climbed the steps past whoever they were debating upon.  
Hades smiled warmly. “Welcome home.”  
I sat beside her on my throne and took her outreached hand. “Thank you.”  
How was your visit?  
It was… difficult, but comforting. You were right, naturally. I had been waiting for that. I sighed contentedly and sat back, giving her hand a squeeze.  
Your hair is wet, Hades eyed me carefully.  
I brought the rain, again.  
Fascinating.  
Hurried footsteps echoed through the Hall and the judges were forced to stop again, much to their annoyance. Hypnos appeared, with a small figure in tow.  
“Sorry to interrupt.”  
“Yes, yes, I’m sure it’s of dire importance,” Aeacus rolled his eyes, but Minos waved his hand and the soul departed. Rhadamanthus tried to peer around Hypnos.  
Hypnos ignored him and looked directly at us. “I found her wandering the plains.”  
“Who?” Hades sat forward. “A lost soul? How did this happen?”  
He edged himself out of the way, and a small woman in a tattered peplos stood shivering. In the silence, Hypnos took off his himation and wrapped it around her.  
All of us gasped, because it was not a lost soul, not literally.  
I was the first to speak. “She’s a mortal, alive, here?”  
Her hazel eyes went wide at the sound of my voice and she dropped to the ground in devotion. “Despoina, bringer of spring!”  
I glanced at Hades. “What brings you here, mortal?”  
She sat back on her knees. “It is a very long story, my gods, too long to trouble your ears with, but to put it simply, I am here because of a quest. I have endured much, and there is only one thing I must do.”  
“What is this quest for?” Hades asked, her curiosity piqued.  
“For love,” she whispered quietly, as if admitting a sin. Her hand went to cradle her stomach, which was only slightly rounded.  
“You’re with child?” Rhadamanthus asked quickly.  
“Yes,” her cheeks flamed red. “This is only another sign I must not yield.”  
“What exactly are you here for?” Hades asked. “If your lover is dead, then it is already done. I will not bring them back for you.”  
“No! He is very much alive, I swear it!”  
“Then explain yourself.”  
“I’ve been cursed and tricked by Aphrodite, and now I must complete her trials. I was sent to retrieve the beauty cream, enough for one day.”  
Hades and I looked at each other in mirrored confusion, before I asked, “She gave that to me as a wedding present, why would she want it back?”  
“Her son was injured,” her voice shook, “and she has been treating him with it, so she has run out.”  
“Which son?” Hades questioned.  
“Eros,” and the woman could not help but place her hand over her stomach again.  
Do you think… I started.  
That Eros is the father? I pity the girl.  
If her words are true, she has come far for him, and the child. A mortal, here.  
You admire her.  
I remember the journey here. It was not easy, even for a goddess. I spoke down to her. “What has she done to you?”  
“Given me near-impossible tasks, and when she learned I was expecting…” The girl’s voice broke in a near sob. “She had me beaten, but the child is not lost. I must do this, my ladies, I beg of you.”  
“Very well, I shall fulfill your request.” I stood. “Hypnos, come with me.”  
The girl cried in relief. “Thank you, bless you, Aristi Chthonia!”  
Hypnos cocked his head in confusion, but I shook my head to stop him. He followed me out of the Hall without a word.  
At the palace, I turned to him. “We are going to give my sister a little punishment, for her actions. Nothing too drastic, I wouldn’t want to start another war, but you can see the fear and the horror written all over that girl.”  
“I agree, but how can I help?”  
I emptied the decorated box that Aphrodite had given me into the wash basin and handed it to him. “Put a sleep curse on this, so when she opens it…”  
Hypnos laughed. “Devious Persephone, you never disappoint. It’s done.”  
When we returned, I heard Hades’ voice drifting through the columns. “... would never give you food or drink from here. What use would I have of you?”  
“Thank you, my lady, but I am not hungry or thirsty.”  
“Very well.”  
I approached the girl slowly and locked eyes with Hades. She fought not to smile as she realized what I had done. “Here you are, the beauty cream she gave me. It is all I have.”  
The girl took the box from me with shaking hands. “I will be in your debt.”  
“You will not,” I said softly. “But this is for the gods, mortal. Be wary. Do not open this box, just give it to Aphrodite and complete your trial.”  
“I swear it,” she murmured, and I smiled down at her. She was small, thin other than the stomach, and bruised, but her eyes were clear and hopeful.   
“There are no distances, no feats too great to conquer in the name of love. You have my blessing,” I bent down and put a hand to her stomach gently. “You have my blessing as well,” I said as I felt the life growing inside of her, strong and golden. My touch healed her wounds before my eyes and I snatched my hand away, trying to mask my shock.  
You are a goddess of life, my love… there are no limits to that.  
“Thank you, I will never forget you, for as long as I live,” she bowed her head as tears flowed down her face.  
“I do not think I will be able to forget you, brave…” I trailed off in question.  
She raised her head and even through her tears, I saw her determination. When she answered this, her voice did not shake. “Psyche.”


End file.
